Burnham-On-Sea’s MP has this week backed calls for school summer holidays to be held earlier to help the area’s tourism industry.
Tessa Munt says she supports calls from Somerset tourism bosses for the start of the school holiday period to be brought forward to June.
It comes after Bob Smart from the Somerset Tourism Association said the region’s tourism industry would be boosted by better weather.
“The weather is usually better, and the days longer, in June than in August. Until the 1970s the August Bank Holiday was always at the beginning of August. Moving it to the end of August was one of the worst things which has ever happened to the British tourism industry,” he said.
“Moving the school holidays to take in June and July would significantly improve the chances of a British family taking their British holiday in fine weather, and making the most of their precious few weeks of leisure with long, light evenings.”
“A national bank holiday in late September or October, for Halloween, say, or coinciding with the school half term, might be widely welcomed. Here in Somerset the early November carnivals add up to a holiday week in themselves, if only people had a chance to enjoy them.”
Tessa Munt said: “I do think we need a bit of a discussion about holidays. I shall certainly be taking it up because I think it is a good idea. The farming and tourism industries are continuously hampered by when the holidays fall and the bad weather.”
“It seems as though without fail the schools break up and the sun goes in and once the children go back it comes out again. Traditionally, children helped with the harvest during the holidays but that doesn’t happen now and for farmers people being away during the harvest can be very difficult.”
