Tourists feel petrol pinch and cut down on day trips

Tourists feel petrol pinch and cut down on day trips49 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDave HarveyWest of England business and environment correspondentBBCWeston-super-Mare's famous Grand Pier has seen fewer visitors as people spend more on essentialsFirst it was the farmers and lorry drivers who noticed the impact of war in Iran.Now a medieval palace and a seaside pier have been hit as people cut back on day trips to save money for fuel.Bookings in Somerset's tourism attractions have halved, according to Visit Somerset, who warned the impact could be "seismic".John Turner, chief executive of Visit Somerset, said he worried "we will see B&Bs, even hotels, collapse into administration".In the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, numbers have fallen so fast that one museum decided to cut admission costs entirely in a brave bid for survival.As the price of fuel and essentials stays high, it seems people are getting pickier about spending money on a day out.Visitors to the Pier spend, on average, less than £15 a headIf you're counting the pennies, the famous Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare is a magnet. The penny-pusher machines in the hall of arcade games take just 2p."Two pounds will keep the kids entertained for an hour," smiles Michelle Michael, the Grand Pier's boss.Her family pride themselves on offering a "value" day out. Admission is £2, and a typical visitor spends under £15 a trip.Yet even here they have noticed a dip. Easter numbers were down 6% on last year."People are more cautious, yes," Michelle observes."Everyone is noticing people are holding onto their money. The resort is down, the town is down, much like tourism destinations across the country."Playing the 2p pushers, I meet John and Sue, a couple down on a coach trip from the Midlands."Yes, everything's gone up", agrees Sue."Cinemas, restaurants, petrol of course. We don't go out as...