Harrogate Christmas market cancellation 'costs £2.7m'

The cancellation of an annual Christmas market will cost a town's economy an estimated £2.7m, according to a study.

Organisers say the event in Harrogate, normally held over four days in mid-November, attracts about 80,000 visitors to the town.

The financial loss to the area is based on how much each visitor would spend on food, drink and gifts during the event.

The market, which features up to 200 stallholders, was cancelled in August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event, which has been held annually since 2012, is organised by a team of volunteers led by Brian Dunsby.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the market was vital to businesses in the town and the organisers were "tremendously disappointed" to have to cancel.

The study into the financial cost of the cancellation was conducted by Where the Trade Buys.

The commercial printing company supplies printed products and goods to small businesses, many of whom attend festive markets, and wanted to assess the wider impact.

Its analysis presumed each visitor to Harrogate's market would spend about £34.

The company said it was directly impacted by the cancellation of Christmas markets as it supplied a lot of small businesses with printed goods especially during the festive period.

The acting chair of Harrogate Business Improvement District, Sara Ferguson, said the report only counted the financial cost of cancelling the market.

She added: "The bigger picture is far bleaker. November's lockdown has been particularly hard for the hospitality and retail sectors, at a time when they are usually experiencing some of their busiest weeks."

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of the town's chamber of commerce, said: "Bring into the equation the fact that the retail and leisure industry have been in lockdown for a whole month, I'd say the figure of £2.7m barely scratches the surface."

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