WELL, folks. Tighten your laces and batten down your hatches, silly season is almost upon us!

With the arrival of the better weather brings something else that anyone who lives in the Duchy will be acutely aware of; tourists.

We all know the drill, cometh the weather, cometh the flood. But can we really complain? There are, afterall, plenty of economic benefits to be had.

For many places in Cornwall, tourism is an essential source of income after the slow drudge of the winter economy. However, local residents are starting to find themselves priced out of their own backyards as a result of tourism reliance.

Tourism is a double-edged sword. It can bring economic benefits to a town, but it can also have a number of negative impacts. As is so often the case in across the Duchy, the negative impacts can start to outweigh the benefits.

The town needs to find a way to manage tourism in a sustainable way. This means finding ways to attract tourists without damaging the environment or the local economy. It also means finding ways to make the town more affordable for the locals.

If Cornwall can find a way to manage tourism in a sustainable way, it can continue to be a popular tourist destination without destroying its own character.