New project will showcase the best of the Dales

A new marketing drive has signed up scores of tourism businesses to attract more visitors and boost the multi-million pound industry in the Yorkshire Dales.

Commissioned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), Distinctly Dales will see tourism businesses use the special qualities of the national park as a unique selling point.

Over 12.5m people visit the Dales each year, bringing in £400m to the area. The scheme aims at increasing these figures in a bid to preserve the national park’s vital economy.

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The first stage will pull together information on cultural and heritage features, local stories, natural attractions and local products.

A library of images, videos and anecdotes will be gathered for use by tourism businesses throughout the Dales, and from January the project will look at how they can use that information and develop their own ‘local distinctiveness’ in order to reap business benefits.

People can take part through a series of local events or by contributing online and many are already feeding in their ideas.

The Tourism Network’s Susan Briggs, who is delivering the scheme, said: “I am really excited about working on this project.

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“We are fortunate to have a vibrant tourism sector that really wants to get involved and are already actively working with over 120 Dales tourism businesses, with the number growing daily.

“Distinctly Dales will work directly with a number of businesses, which will in turn act as examples of best practice to others”.

For more information visit www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/sustainabletourism or email [email protected]