Eco-friendly tourism strategy will 'open up access' to Dales

A UNIQUE blueprint has been drawn up to encourage thousands more visitors to the Yorkshire Dales and build on a boom in eco-friendly tourism.

The wide-ranging strategy is due to be given the go-ahead tomorrow by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority in the hope of boosting the multi-million pound tourism industry and opening up access to the countryside.

It is the first time that tourism has been included in the same action plan as recreation and access to the Yorkshire Dales, and represents the biggest overhaul of the policies in the last five years.

The proposals aim to increase the number of people travelling to the Dales, which already attracts 8m visitors every year.

The strategy is also builds on a boom in outdoor pursuits including mountain biking and climbing, while providing taster sessions for school pupils and members of ethnic minorities.

The national park authority’s head of park management, Jon Avison, said: “We need to make sure that we are providing the means for people to enjoy the area without detracting from the very special qualities of the Yorkshire Dales.

“Agriculture and land management remain the backbone of the national park, as the people who are involved are the custodians of the countryside.

“But tourism is a massive part of the local economy, and we want to make sure that as many people as possible have the chance to experience the Yorkshire Dales.

“However, we are conscious of protecting the area, and this plan is also about looking at issues of transport and how we can preserve the environment.

“It is setting out what the national park authority aims to do throughout the next five years – it is as important for us to know what we want to achieve as it is to encourage more people to come to the Dales.”

The need to protect the environment has been at the forefront of the national park authority’s policies, and Mr Avison stressed that tough enforcement action could be pursued in the future.

The authority became the first in the country to adopt legislation to prevent damage from motorcycle trail riders and recreational 4x4 drivers when it enforced traffic regulation orders in 2008 to protect green lanes.

The success of schemes such as the Dalesbus, which provides public transport links across the national park, is seen as key for reducing reliance on cars.

While 90 per cent of visitors travel to the national park using private vehicles, the Dalesbus project was responsible for 19,500 journeys during the last financial year – which represented a 40 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

Tourism generates 85bn each year and ranks as the nation’s fifth largest industry. It brings in about 575m annually in the area covered by the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park was awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in 2008, and the new strategy is aiming to build on the success already achieved in encouraging eco-friendly projects aimed at cyclists and walkers.

Efforts are already underway to aid rural businesses which are struggling financially during the recession. A task force of tourism experts have been touring the Dales and Harrogate area to offer practical advice.

The recreation and tourism strategy has already gone out for an extensive eight-week public consultation which involved gleaning the views of a range of organisations including local councils, the Ramblers’ Association, the Yorkshire Dales Society and Natural England.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is due to meet tomorrow in Bainbridge when members are expected to approve plans to adopt the strategy.

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