The Cumbria Tourism Podcast
We are excited to share interesting and inspiring stories from every corner of the county.
We plan to cover useful topics that matter to businesses as well as explore the positive impact tourism has across our communities, economy and environment. Please subscribe, share and follow on Spotify, Apple, Amazon or whatever platform you get your podcasts – this will really help us to get discovered and grow our audience. Any questions, comments or ideas for future episodes, please get in touch with Janie on joates@cumbriatourism.org.
Podcast Episode 9: How to attract international visitors
Attracting international visitors is a key priority for Cumbria Tourism. Francine Bult leads on this activity for Cumbria Tourism and in this episode, we discuss how you can get travel trade ready and appeal to international visitors. We also discuss why international visitors are so valuable for the county, how travel trade works, and Cumbria Tourism’s stance on sustainability when it comes to international travel.
Check here for Cumbria Tourism’s resources on international marketing. Francine mentions resources from VisitBritain – their in market webinars can be found here and their inbound market data can be found here.
Podcast Episode 8: Mark Holroyd – Chair at Cumbria Tourism
Mark Holroyd is the North England Director at Forestry England and the Chair of the Executive Board at Cumbria Tourism.
In this episode, Mark talks us through Cumbria Tourism’s key strategies and priorities. We discuss lobbying on behalf of the visitor economy, new projects and innovations, and tourism being a force for good. We also cover how Cumbria Tourism are responding to current challenges within the industry, and what opportunities lie on the horizon for businesses.
From marketing and networking events to workforce activity and expert training and advice – this conversation demonstrates the multiple ways in which Cumbria Tourism is working hard to support the visitor economy in all seasons and in all corners of the county.
Find out more about the wider destination management plan here and if you’d like to find out more about membership then please get in touch with the team here: info@cumbriatourism.org.
Podcast Episode 7: Sarah Dunning – Chair at Westmorland
Sarah Dunning was awarded the Bernard Gooch Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Cumbria Tourism Awards. She was recognised for her outstanding contribution to our region’s food culture, rural economy and visitor offer through her leadership of Westmorland – the family-owned business behind Tebay and Rheged.
In this episode, we learn about her approach to business at Westmorland. From branding and the customer journey to colleague engagement and business being a force for good – you’ll find plenty of excellent ideas and lots of inspiration.
Podcast Episode 6: The options (and benefits) for going car free
The Cumbria Tourism team are full of ideas on the best ways to travel car free and save money. In this episode we speak to Project Officer Amanda Shaw about her work on the Go Car Free campaign and the potential benefits to businesses.
We then put these ideas into action by taking the podcast on the road. Joining Sustainable Tourism Officer Gemma Procter on a bus trip through the Central Lakes, we visit businesses in Hawkshead and Coniston, and discuss the latest updates on the Three Valleys project.
Learn more about the Go Car Free campaign here and the 3 Valleys project here. Get info on local shuttle buses here and sign up for car free updates here. More info on our Smart Travel Planner is here. Finally, the businesses featured include Stagecoach, Hawkshead Relish and the Ruskin Museum.
BONUS EPISODE: Tour de France – Make the most of this opportunity
With billions watching around the globe, the Tour de France is set to be the world’s greatest TV advert for our county, when it arrives in Cumbria in July 2027. In this episode we discuss the scale of the event and how businesses across Cumbria can make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity. Our guest is Vikki Harris from Marketing Lancashire – who was closely involved with the Tour de France, and led on the marketing side, when the event visited Yorkshire back in 2014.
View Cumbria Tourism and A Digital’s Tour de France Guide here and sign up to Tour de France updates from the organisers here.
Podcast Episode 5 – Employment law changes and recruitment advice
In May Cumbria Tourism hosted its fourth HR Summit, showcasing the collaboration and award-winning work that is taking place in Cumbria around skills, careers and recruitment as well as sharing useful updates and great ideas from HR professionals.
We caught up with two of the speakers after the event to capture their expertise for this episode. Anna Lovett of Burnetts Solicitors in Carlisle speaks about the changes in employment law that are most likely to impact the tourism and hospitality sector and crucially, what you can do about it now to be prepared – and Claire McLean, Founder and CEO of Realise HR, shares her tips for better recruitment and retention.
Follow the links to find out more about Cumbria Tourism’s workforce strategy and the offers and discounts from Cumbria Tourism’s strategic partners and supplier members. Find out more about Burnetts Solicitors here and Realise HR here.
Podcast Episode 4 – Careers and Opportunities on the Coast
We believe tourism offers brilliant career opportunities and creates vibrant communities. In this episode we head over to the coast to hear two inspiring stories that really showcase this idea.
Ewan Frost-Pennington describes why he left the corporate world to return home to Muncaster Castle, how their exciting programme of events has really reinvented the typical perception of a stately home, and the importance of supporting a lively community in Ravenglass.
We also hear from Gina Goulding, originally from Seascale, she now runs multiple businesses on the coast including the Beach Road Bakehouse in St Bees. We learn about her journey from engineering to bakery owner as well as her passion for supporting careers in hospitality.
Find out more about Muncaster Castle and browse their events here. Also follow the links to read about Beach Road Bakehouse, the Cumbria Coastal Route and Cumbria Tourism’s work on workforce development.
Episode three: Volunteering in Kirkby Lonsdale
This is the Cumbria Tourism Podcast where we bring you inspiring stories and great ideas from every corner of the county. Please do get in touch and let us know if there is a subject you would like us to cover.
Kirkby Lonsdale is a vibrant market town with a unique character. You can learn more at their TIC, run by a dedicated team of volunteers sharing local knowledge and enthusiasm for the area as well as generating plenty of pride and connection within the community.
This isn’t a tourist information, but a town information, and a valuable resource and hub for both visitors and residents.
In this episode, we meet Town Information Manager Marie Batty and volunteer Jane Crichton to find out exactly how volunteers help create a thriving TIC that preserves local culture, involves the community and inspires visitors.
Find out more about Kirkby Lonsdale here:
Episode two: Visitor Giving
This is the Cumbria Tourism Podcast where we bring you interesting and inspiring stories from every corner of the county. Let us know what you think.
Cumbria Tourism’s last Visitor Survey showed that 14% of visitors give to local causes while they are here. This is something we would like to encourage more of, so in this episode, we introduce you to Jonathan from Cedar Manor Hotel and Sarah Swindley from the Lake District Foundation – just two of the many who are already involved in visitor giving.
We cover the practical ways to engage visitors as well as the positive impact this money can have on local communities and environments. It was also interesting to hear more about the commercial benefits this can bring to businesses in terms of repeat custom and staff retention.
For information on Visiting Giving visit: https://www.cumbriatourism.org/who-we-are/regenerative-tourism/
This also features on our Destination Management Plan:
https://www.cumbriatourism.org/resources/destination-management-plan/
Find out more about the Lake District Foundation here: https://www.lakedistrictfoundation.org/
Find out more about Cedar Manor Hotel here: https://www.cedarmanor.co.uk/
Episode one: Sustainable Transport in the Ullswater Valley
Sustainable transport is a key priority for Cumbria Tourism, shown through work on various projects including the 3 valleys, the car free campaign and worker transport. We have also supported the SITU project in the Ullswater Valley and in this episode we meet two of its volunteers, Michael Firth and Daniel Holder.
We learn all about what can happen when a community really comes together and the benefits this can bring for both residents and visitors. We also cover their personal motivations for getting involved, project successes so far and the vision for the future.
Find out more about how Cumbria Tourism supports responsible tourism.
These topics also feature in our destination management plan for the county.
Find out more about SITU here: situcumbria.org.uk.