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The impact of tourism on Port Isaac

This Down My Way looks at the ways, both positive and negative, in which tourism has affected life in a small village in the west of England.

Port Isaac is a fishing village on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall (see Figure 1). It is perhaps best known for hosting films and television series, such as ITV’s Doc Martin (2004–present). A survey taken in 2011 (Figure 2) shows that at that time the majority of tourists visit Port Isaac because of its TV appearances. This fame has led to a rapid increase in tourism over the past 20 years. How has this impacted the previously peaceful fishing village?

Tourism has brought many advantages to Port Isaac. The Cornish economy strongly relies on the tourism industry. It supplies 24% of Cornwall’s gross domestic product (GDP), with Port Isaac being a key contributor. In 2017, Visit Cornwall stated that 27% of the 8 million Doc Martin viewers, including many international fans, come to Cornwall primarily to visit the filming location. This surge of tourists has opened up business opportunities and created numerous jobs for locals in sectors such as hospitality.

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When ice shaped the land

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Can monitoring volcanoes save lives?

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