Dales tourism strategy unveiled after £100,000 funding bonus

A BOLD strategy to transform tourism revenues and create a unified vision for the multi-million- pound industry across the Yorkshire Dales has been launched in Wensleydale after vital funding was secured.

The scheme, to develop a new marketing campaign for Wensleydale as well as an online community portal where visitors can book accommodation and access local information, has been developed over the past 18 months by a group of businesses concerned that the area was being left behind by its rivals.

And this week, the three-year project which it is anticipated could bring millions extra in tourism revenues into Wensleydale over the coming years, has been given the go-ahead after securing the funding from the Yorkshire Dales Leader programme.

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Now it is hoped the scheme will help revive a vitally important industry which has suffered in recent years during the economic slump.

Keith Garrard, owner of Milners department store in Leyburn, and chairman of the group of up to 10 businesses who spearheaded the scheme, said yesterday: “This is just incredible news and we feel as though the future of the area is now secure.

“The recession hit tourism here hard and if we had more of a tourist offer the area could have protected itself a lot better.

“This is something that the whole area needs and the scale of which has never been done before.

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“The Yorkshire Dales have changed so much in the past 30 years and this is something that will keep us up to speed.

“This will make a tremendous difference in the future to visitor numbers and we are grateful for the support and commitment to the future of the area.

“This will bring millions of pounds more into Wensleydale over the next 10 years.”

The £100,000 funding will pay for the new community portal, design of a new logo which it is thought will be along the lines of the Welcome to Yorkshire symbol, and a dedicated community liaison officer to manage the project.

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It is hoped that the website will be up and running by the end of the year.

The action group was formed in 2009 following the publication of the Miller Reports, which were commissioned by Richmondshire District Council to highlight potential social and economic priorities for Lower Wensleydale.

One of the main recommendations of the report was that the area needed to market itself better to visitors to boost the tourism industry which is worth £184.5m annually to Richmondshire’s economy and supports more than 4,500 jobs during the peak season.

Coun John Blackie, the leader of Richmondshire District Council which has worked with the group of businesses to deliver the new funding, said: “We have worked very hard to come forward with this funding at a time when there is very little available.

“This will certainly transform revenues in Wensleydale.

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“There needs to be a boost to tourism in the Dales, particularly among families where we are not seeing the numbers coming here that we used to.

“I really welcome the funding and the partnership between us.”

The group of businesses are part of the Lower Wensleydale Area Partnership, one of five set up by Richmondshire District Council to address local needs and issues and to involve rural communities in decisions affecting them and identify priorities for the local area.

The Yorkshire Dales Leader Programme runs from 2008 to 2013 and has been set up to address the problems of rural poverty within the Yorkshire Dales.

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It is a multi-agency partnership which brings together representatives from voluntary sector organisations, public bodies and private businesses working in the national park.

The £76,534 Leader grant confirmed by Richmondshire District Council for the project this week, will be added to the £19,000 already raised.

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