Eco-tourism drive 'could boost region's economy by millions'

As the market for nature tourism is growing at a rate of 20 per cent a year, fuelled by TV programmes like BBC's Springwatch, researchers believe such tourism in the area could one day be worth 28m – up from around 9.5m today.

A report by Leeds Metropolitan University's International Centre for Responsible Tourism focuses on the "Nature Tourism Triangle", bounded by the East Coast, between Filey Brigg and Spurn Point, North Cave, the Wolds and the River Hull to the west and the Humber estuary to the south.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which commissioned the report, believes that with investment, the area and its wildlife reserves could become an alternative to the nationally known Moors and Dales.

North Norfolk has similar topography and attractions to Yorkshire's East Coast and visitors to just six birdwatching sites are estimated, according to a survey in 1999, to spend 60m, supporting 135 jobs.

Dr Simon Woodward, from Leeds Metropolitan University, will be outlining the report's findings at a conference in Bridlington this morning. Nature Tourism Manager Martin Batt, from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: "We've shown that nature tourism is already on the increase, but we need to do more if Yorkshire is to compete effectively with north Norfolk.

"What the area needs is investment in its natural assets."

Plans are under way to improve facilities at key sites, including a 500,000 Heritage Lottery bid to refurbish the lighthouse at Spurn Point, one of the finest sites in Europe to see migrating birds, and put in more toilets.

Meanwhile the RSPB has had to scale back plans for a national seabird centre at Bempton, and instead will be carrying out a phased development over 10 years, with increased educational facilities and expanded catering.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has also announced plans for a "Living Seas" activity centre with a cafe on the site of the Boathouse Cafe in South Sea Road which burned down after a vandal attack last July.

The centre will aim to show people the North Sea isn't just an expanse of grey water – a humpback whale was spotted recently just 300 metres off the beach at Spurn Point. It'll contain a wet room and there are plans to take people on snorkelling trips to see some of the abundant marine life on the chalk reefs extending from the headland.

Mr Batt added: "There are audiences that are being turned onto British wildlife by Springwatch and Autumnwatch and Coast, which are now on at peak times and are attracting a new audience.

"If there's an item on about Spurn Point on Coast we find the following weekend there's an influx of new visitors who haven't been there before."

Although overall biodiversity is falling, some species – including red kites, otters and gannets –are thriving and the trust hopes introducing more people to wildlife will in turn lead to increased efforts to protect what is there.

"People won't protect what they don't understand", said Mr Batt.

"We think the way forward is to invest in explaining and servicing the reserves a lot better and helping people to understand what they are seeing by having more volunteers.

"The message is that we won't achieve this unless we work together."

The Nature Tourism Triangle project is funded by Leader, which is financed by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development as well as the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.