The social and financial impacts of COVID-19 have been keenly felt by many people. Unfortunately, there are places in the U.K. that have been more significantly impacted by this crisis than others.
Coastal towns are a prime example of how some economies can collapse under the duress caused by the viral outbreak. Job losses are especially high, and this is concerning in the context of a national crisis.
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The Financial Impacts of COVID-19
When one explores the financial impacts of COVID-19, the most considerable impacts are located within the coastal towns.
Blackpool, Brighton, and Bournemouth are all high on the list, as well as being prominent coastal towns. It is also important to note that coastal towns make up a significant portion of all the job losses in the country.
Why Are Coastal Towns So Damaged?
Perhaps one of the biggest questions which people will ask about the damage done to coastal towns, in general, is “why are they so heavily affected by the COVID-19 outbreak?”
It is important to consider the contextual placement of coastal towns. Every coastal town relies to a considerable extent on the tourism of the country. The economy is often built on the tourism industry. Understandably, this means that when there is a distinct shortage of tourists visiting every location, there is a massive financial impact to be felt.
To look at it another way, there are no jobs for people when there is no customer base. It is very difficult to justify the average salary of workers who are employed in restaurants or shopping facilities when there are no customers to continue ensuring the growth of the business.
To lend a little perspective to the situation, it is estimated that at least 13,000 people have lost their jobs in Blackpool. This equates to at least 5% of the population, which is concerning.
What Can Be Done?
So, what can be done about the potential issues surrounding the job losses in the coastal industry? Well, the first and most obvious solution would be to concentrate a significant percentage of the relief efforts in coastal regions. It will not just be the towns that are affected – the surrounding areas will form part of a disrupted and broken ecosystem.
Ultimately, the solution is going to be the government recognizing that coastal towns will need significant support. A healthy surge of tourism will correct the majority of the issues, but as this can not take place until it is safe to do so, it will be necessary to find a temporary solution.
In conclusion, coastal towns are some of the worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis. There are multiple instances where people are struggling to simply provide food for themselves, let alone maintain the economy. It is important to provide as much relief effort there as possible. This will definitely help to bolster the flagging economy, and so it is important to provide people with adequate resources. It will ultimately fall to the government to provide the correct response to this crisis.
If your employment has been affected by the corona outbreak you can find the latest local jobs near you here https://uk.whatjobs.com/.