The predominant pattern of travel to work journeys is from the rural areas into the towns, from parts of south east Cornwall to Plymouth and from much of mid and west Cornwall into Truro. In 1996 Cornwall's Gross Domestic Product was estimated to be 3,680 million Tourism is the only traditional industry which is currently expanding. There are now an estimated 4 million visitors a year spending some 930 million, although only about a third of this is retained in Cornwall. The industry accounts for around 30,000 jobs with many more at the peak of the season. Initiatives like In Pursuit of Excellence highlight some of the successful companies and sectors to which Cornwall plays host.
Small firms predominate.
Recorded unemployment fell dramatically in Cornwall during 1997 from 19,520 in January to 14,597 in December, but this was significantly less than the national improvement. Even though this is partly affected by changes in eligibility for benefit following the introduction of jobseekers allowance, it is still impressive. For further information, contact Malcolm Brown, Research and Information Officer, tel.