Improve the quality, variety and marketing of the tourism ‘offer’ to encourage more overnight stays and more visitors in the quieter months, so that the value of tourism grows by at least 5% in real terms by 2024.
How the local partners are doing on this objective
Progress: 2022 showed an 11% increase in the economic value of tourism compared to the baseline (2017). Staying visitors increased by 17% from 2021 increasing slightly above 2017 baseline levels by 0.3%.
Press releases & related articles:
27 October 2020 – ‘Kickstart’ funding for tourism sector
Rationale: Staying overnight in the National Park is a sustainable and economically beneficial way to enjoy its qualities Improving the range of accommodation and facilities will support more overnight stays, over a longer season and will bring increased financial benefit into the area. Economic benefit is regarded as more important than total visitor numbers but it should be noted that visitor numbers are highly variable from year to year. The local tourism economy has grown by 11% in real terms over the last 8 years. The Yorkshire Dales Local Plan contains new planning policies that support new visitor facilities and infrastructure to help deliver this objective.
Lead partner: Welcome to Yorkshire;
Supporting partners: North Yorkshire Council; Westmorland & Furness Council; Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority; Cumbria Tourism; Dales Tourism Network; Marketing Lancashire;
Further information: YDNPA – Tourism in the Dales
Cost over 5 years: £500,000
Funding shortfall: None
Related objectives: A7; B3; B6; B8; B9; B11;E3; E5; E6; E8; E9; F6, F7
Ecosystem services: Recreation
Trade-offs: Raising the quality and improving the effectiveness of marketing may bring more people and cars and cause impacts on tranquillity (A2), landscape character (A3), wildlife (C2), new housing (F1). However these impacts can be managed through policies and programmes set out in the Authority’s visitor management strategy ‘Special Qualities, Special Experiences’ and through policies in the Yorkshire Dales Local Plan
Baseline: Tourism in the National Park was worth £693 million in 2017.