West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has welcomed the return of school trips and the arrival of tourists during a visit to a premier water park.

The MP visited Croft Farm Water Park, near Tewksbury, and chatted to owner Alan Newell about how the popular local business is opening up to welcome customers back.

Some school trips are starting to re-commence and visitors from all over the country are arriving to enjoy the leisure facilities and the rural Cotswold countryside.

Harriett offered her assistance to the business as it accessed Government schemes to protect businesses and jobs during the coronavirus crisis.

And now outdoor activities are being allowed while still following social distancing guidelines, meaning that much of the water park activities are able to re-start.

Harriett commented: “Tourism is vital to our local economy and I have taken some time to chat to businesses who are doing their best to re-open as effectively as they can in these new challenging circumstances.

“Throughout the lockdown, we have encouraged people to get into the great outdoors and it is good to see so many people already making their way to local tourist destinations to enjoy our wonderful rural countryside.

“Alan has invested a great deal in this business, and I have been impressed at how resilient and innovative business owners have been as they start to re-open.

“Looking at the caravans on the motorways in recent days, it is clear to me that people are opting to get away with a ‘staycation’ and I hope hospitality and tourism businesses see a positive uptick in demand in the coming weeks.”