TV star to back £75M "Adventure Capital plan for Cumbria
Cumbria's bid to become the Adventure Capital of the UK will be officially backed by outdoors guru Julia Bradbury at a key note meeting taking place this week (Weds 23rd June).
The Countryfile star, who in recent years has become an unofficial champion of the county and its great outdoors, will be calling on tourism businesses to unite behind the flag of making Cumbria the "UK's undisputed number one adventure holiday destination."
"Adventure Capital" status could bring in as much as an extra £75 million tourism spend into the county. This could see new tourism businesses flourish, new jobs being created, new visitors all helping the county's fragile economy.
Julia is speaking at the annual general meeting of Cumbria Tourism, taking place from 1pm on Wednesday 23rd June 2010 at The Rheged Centre, Penrith. Also at the meeting, 11 tourism figures will stand for election to six seats on the Cumbria Tourism Commercial Members' Committee or a "council of tourism."
Her advocacy for "Adventure Capital" follows hot on the heels of the publication of one of the most important tourism strategies for Cumbria in recent years. It spells out how the area stands to reap the benefits if it successfully positions itself to lure more "adventure visitors," to the county over the coming eight years.
Cumbria is already home to over 100 outdoor activity businesses and many more outdoor retailers but there is belief this section of the tourism industry could grow. Currently the sector employs around 1500 to 2000 people countywide.
Official research shows that by developing the county's "Adventure offer" it could help:
Generate an extra £75 million spent in Cumbria every year by visitors
Support 900 new jobs for the county
Help local adventure businesses grow and new businesses set up
Spread the benefit of tourism from the Lakes to the outer-lying areas of Cumbria
The rationale for the optimism is that activity breaks are one of the fastest growing holiday "trends" while the number of people taking them has jumped a staggering 17% in seven years - meaning Cumbria and the type of holiday on offer here, has growing appeal.
Compared to 10 years ago, almost 50 per cent of the UK population now goes on an activity break, whether that's cycling, scrambling or something more adventurous.
People can already do a range of activities in Cumbria like walking, cycling, canoeing, climbing and fell running as well as specialist adventure activities like gorge scrambling, paragliding, the Honister Slate Mine Via Ferrata and sky diving.
However, between now and 2018, Cumbria is aiming to be at the forefront by building an "international class" outdoors sector for new visitors and residents to enjoy, along with the infrastructure, activities and events to make it more appealing to those visitors who come year after year.
Ian Stephens, Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourism, said: "Adventure holidays are rocketing in popularity. They are no longer the preserve of the super-fit or those who do it for a hobby. Increasingly, young people, families and our senior visitors are looking for new things to do and new ways to experience life in the great outdoors. Adventure Capital's success will be in offering what it is they are looking for but also making it harmonious with our landscape. The end goal is to help tourism businesses in Cumbria become more successful and increase the amount tourism brings into Cumbria's economy."
Ends
1: The media are welcome to attend the AGM. For further information please contact Cumbria Tourism Press Office on 01539 825075 or on pressoffice@cumbriatourism.org
2: Cumbria Tourism is the lead organisation for tourism in the county and is at the heart of the Cumbria Visitor Economy. It is also the largest membership organisation in Cumbria with more than 3,000 members. Over 15.3 million annual visitors to Cumbria contribute more than £1.1 billion to the local economy and support around 36,000 jobs. To find out more about the work of Cumbria Tourism, visit www.cumbriatourism.org
3: Cumbria Tourism is supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The NWDA leads the economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is responsible for: Supporting business growth and encouraging investment; Matching skills provision to employer needs; Creating the conditions for economic growth; Connecting the region through effective transport and communication infrastructure; Promoting the region's outstanding quality of life.
4: To book accommodation in Cumbria - the Lake District, visit www.golakes.co.uk
5: Between 2007 and 2013, the Northwest of England will receive a total of £521 million (dependent on exchange rate) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency NWDA, this funding will enhance the competitiveness of the region's economy by supporting growth in employment and enterprise.
Key targets for the NWOP include:
· Creating 26,700 net additional jobs by 2015
· Generating £1.17BN additional annual GVA by 2015
· Supporting a 25 per cent reduction in additional CO2 emissions generated by the ERDF programme.
· For further information, please visit www.erdfnw.co.uk
