Across Britain, some people say Cornwall is known for its pasties, ice cream and picturesque seaside villages.
Others say it’s known for moaning locals who seem to despise tourists.
Yet while it’s true many of those who are Cornish born and bred have rallied against what they call the over-tourism of their beloved county, not everyone feels the same.
When MailOnline visited the tiny village of Looe, Cornish shop owners said they couldn’t wait for the summer and said tourists were more than welcome.
More than just a pretty village, it’s also the setting of the hit TV show Beyond Paradise – a fact shopkeepers are keen to point out.
Speaking to MailOnline, they said while some Cornish people may whinge and moan, they were delighted at the prospect of Brits turning to Looe for a sunny staycation.
Juliette Doolan, 56, the owner of Quirky and Quirky Vintage, said: ‘If you’re a business owner, you depend on tourists.
‘If you’re Cornish and you retire here you’re probably not so keen on the tourists.
When MailOnline visited the tiny village of Looe (pictured), Cornish shop owners said they couldn’t wait for the summer and said tourists were more than welcome
Kirsty Gibson, 28, (pictured) runs The Old Boathouse cafe and ice cream parlour with her family. She said: ‘When tourists come to Looe that generates our income and if we didn’t have them then we wouldn’t be able to pay our bills’
Juliette Doolan, 56, (pictured) the owner of Quirky and Quirky Vintage, said: ‘If you’re a business owner, you depend on tourists’
‘I think a lot of the established community will give the town a wide birth in the summer.
‘It’s a fantastic place. It’s like there’s a magic here which I think sometimes isn’t given its full kudos. There is a natural amphitheatre because there is an incline on both sides, so the natural landform makes you think that’s you’re in a valley, which is why people feel such a strong community.
‘Tourists are absolutely welcome. The business community completely depends on them. If you hear any differently it’ll just be from the old school community here who will be retired and don’t need tourists.’
Mother-of-one Kirsty Gibson, 28, runs The Old Boathouse cafe and ice cream parlour with her family.
She said: ‘This is a family business. We’ve been here for 11 years. We’ve seen it in the good times and then we’ve gone through Covid, and then coming out of Covid was really really good.
‘From the start of this year we were up and down, obviously the filming of Beyond Paradise has brought in a little bit of business.
‘I wouldn’t say that it’s been overpopular with tourists. Hopefully we can get some but it’s dependent on the weather really.
‘There are some [moaners] and you do hear on the grapevine about that.
The village is the setting for hit BBC One show Beyond Paradise starring Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton
With a bustling seafront and lovely sand beach, people living and working in Looe hope tourists will pick it as their choice for a staycation
Looe is the Cornish seaside town that can’t get enough of seaside tourists, unlike some other holiday destinations
Pictured: A tourist in a woven pink jumper takes a photo of Looe during a sunny spell this week
Dan Gummow, 40, (pictured) is the owner of Looe Sea Safari. He told MailOnline: ‘It’s a small minority the ones whingeing. It’s a shame’
‘I get like when you get traffic and people, you can’t move about in the town, but when tourists come to Looe that generates our income and if we didn’t have them then we wouldn’t be able to pay our bills, we wouldn’t be able to give jobs to the young people that are here, so you’ve got to give a little bit to receive really.
‘Do come out down here because even though you do hear certain stuff there are a lot of good things about Looe.
‘Once the weather is good, you can sit outside enjoy a Cornish beer or Cornish cider with a pasty and then maybe with a nice ice cream.
‘When the people are here it’s great, when they’re not then we all panic and wonder are we going to have a good season?’
Looe boasts a selection of stunning homes as well as a picturesque harbour (pictured this week)
The manager of Looe’s Catch Fish and Chips Mike Stow (pictured) told MailOnline: ‘Enjoy Cornwall while you can. Because of coastal erosion, it’s not going to be here forever’
Although a few shop owners said they understood how locals may feel aggrieved by tourists, most they said Cornwall was there to be enjoyed
Dan Gummow, 40, is the owner of Looe Sea Safari. He told MailOnline: ‘It’s a small minority the ones whingeing. It’s a shame.
‘We want tourists to come and Beyond Paradise has helped as well.
‘I like being able to work in my hometown in shorts and a T-shirt. We’ve seen a massive increase this Easter and the weather has helped as well.
‘Beyond Paradise used our shop as a bakery for the upcoming series.
‘There are a minority who don’t like tourism but most people in Looe embrace the tourists. They are our bread and butter. We need them.’
Holidaymaker John (pictured with his son), who lives nearby, told MailOnline: ‘It’s a lovely place to be. We’ve just been skimming stones down in the river’
Shopkeepers like Juliette Doolan urged tourists to visit the pretty seaside village of Looe
Meanwhile, holidaymaker John, who lives nearby, told MailOnline: ‘You do hear a lot of locals who say it’s awful when the tourists come down.
‘But with the exception of Plymouth, there’s not any industry down here. They’ve got to be reliant on tourists.
‘What else is there other than agriculture?
‘In Looe they seem to embrace it. You can see even on a day that’s not peak summer season, it’s still bustling, still lots of people eating ice creams doing crab fishing, it’s good for the family, it has lovely beaches.
‘It’s got to be a real boom for the local economy. Beyond Paradise is here as well. It’s a lovely place to be. We’ve just been skimming stones down in the river.’
Although a few shop owners said they understood how locals may feel aggrieved by tourists, most they said Cornwall was there to be enjoyed.
As the manager of Looe’s Catch Fish and Chips Mike Stow told MailOnline: ‘Enjoy Cornwall while you can. Because of coastal erosion, it’s not going to be here forever.’
