TRADERS in Fowey say they failed to reap any reward from ten days' worth of visitors to the new Fowey Festival of Words and Music.
Although the annual event attracts a healthy audience, businesses say few appear to have made the short walk into town from the festival site, and some businesses actually saw a downturn in trade.
The festival, which closed last week, was rebranded this year, having previously been called the du Maurier Festival in honour of the town's famous author.
Nicky Powell, owner of Botigo, said the downturn this year could be due to the name change.
"It hasn't been as busy as in previous years," she said. "Maybe that was down to the weather, or maybe the change of name hasn't attracted as many people.
"People came from around the world for the du Maurier Festival but I haven't seen those same people this year. Perhaps they weren't aware it was the same festival."
One local, who did not wish to be named, said the event could do more to include local traders, such as inviting them to sell their products in the festival village rather than bringing in sellers from outside the town: "It's the Fowey Festival but it has very little to do with Fowey."
The bad weather may have taken its toll; BBC Folk Award winners Lau even had to leave the stage midway through their show due to safety concerns brought about by 55mph winds.
"The Fowey Festival didn't do a lot for the town," said Karen Turpin, owner of Fowey Fish and Wines. "We had a very quiet week. It's such a shame but you can't make people go where they don't want to go."
Steve Beresford, chairman of the Fowey Chamber of Commerce, said a union between the festival and traders must be two-way.
"The festival should try to promote the town, but equally the businesses should get more involved in the festival," he said. "Some have accepted that it does little for them and so do little in return.
"Maybe [there should be] an open day for local businesses two months before the event, where potential service providers could identify areas to bid for work and local businesses could suggest ways to help themselves and the festival."
Tony Ryde, chairman of the du Maurier Festival Society, said they had received positive feedback from a number of shops in town but it hadn't been one of the better years in terms of attendance.
"Our own sales were well down on previous years, so it seems we're all struggling," he said.
Although a trade table was offered to local shops, interest was minimal.
"Traders find staffing the stalls in the village too costly given they have to double up on their own shops; we did offer a collective stall via the chamber of commerce, but there was too little interest to make that viable.
"We would all have welcomed better weather and, of course, the resources to stage more events in the town centre."
