Cornwall could see up to 80,000 tourists coming into the county from this weekend as businesses open for the first time since lockdown.

With hotels, campsites, attractions, pubs and restaurants all able to open for the first time from Saturday (July 4) there is expected to be an influx of visitors.

Visit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell said on Thursday that it was expected there could be between 75,000 and 80,000 visitors coming to Cornwall, which he said was 30 per cent down on usual numbers for this time of year.

But he added that it was expected to rise in the coming weeks to 100,000.

Mr Bell said that not all accommodation providers would be opening this weekend with many large holiday parks not opening until Monday and some hotels until later next week.

He said that this was because they were having to bring back staff from furlough and making sure they are ready for guests.

Mr Bell said that some would be running at 50 per cent occupancy in the first few days.

He said: “It will feel a lot busier and the roads will feel busy as we haven’t had the run up that we normally have. But it won’t be as busy as normal at this time of year.

“I have heard of people wanting to come down at midnight on Saturday but places have been sensible and said come down at the normal times.”

Cornwall Council leader Julian German said that he had been “incredibly impressed” with how hospitality businesses had been able to adapt to ensure they are safe to open for visitors and customers.

However he said that not all businesses would not be reopening this weekend.

“For some the closed signs will remain in place the sign of the human cost of this crisis on our communities not only in lives lost but livelihoods too.”