Park bosses seek new ways to attract more visitors to Moors

Tourism is a key part of Yorkshire’s rural economy, but long-held concerns have been reinforced by a fall in visitor numbers in the North York Moors National Park in recent years and next week a plan which aims to reverse the trend is set to be discussed.

In 2011, tourism was worth £434m to the national park’s economy but a report to be considered by park authority members warns there is evidence to suggest its value to the local economy has declined throughout the last six years.

The report says: “The authority is keen to be more proactive in raising the profile of the wider North York Moors area and to take a positive approach to tourism. The management plan proposes an increase in visitors and visitor spending in order to reverse the decline, while recognising that visitor activity needs to be managed to avoid harmful impacts.”

Members of the park authority will meet on Monday to decide whether to back a new three-year plan to promote the national park. It includes a planned marketing partnership with VisitEngland to promote the area nationwide to help swell visitor numbers. It also says the park has an opportunity to capitalise on Yorkshire’s hosting of the Grand Départ of The Tour de France next summer.

The village of Goathland featured in ITV’s popular show, Heartbeat, as well as the first Harry Potter film, but the North York Moors has remained in the shadow of the Yorkshire Dales, which is a globally recognised brand aided by products such as Wensleydale Cheese and the worldwide fame of the fictional vet James Herriot.

The authority’s head of promotion and tourism, Catriona McLees, said the campaign’s aim is to remind people of what the North York Moors had to offer. She admitted while the North York Moors was designated as a national park two years earlier than the Dales in 1952, marketing over the intervening 61 years had not proved to be effective.

She added: “It’s a lot to do with the fact that we have not shouted loud about who we are. There comes a point where if you are not shouting about it people do tend to forget.”

She claimed a key part of the plan is to ensure the park worked with a number of partners to promote the area such as Welcome to Yorkshire, local authorities and with VisitEngland. If the plan is approved, the park hopes to work with VisitEngland on a nationwide marketing campaign.

Another key part of the plan is to develop closer links with the private sector to promote the area by building up a tourism network to promote the area.

The North York Moors National Park Authority is also planning to build on social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook to help market the area – although some parts of rural Yorkshire are plagued by poor access to broadband and mobile technology.

Members will also discuss a separate report on an economic blueprint for the area which outlines the need for better rural broadband links when they meet on Monday. They are being asked for their views on a draft economic plan drawn up by the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). One of its aims is to ensure that rural areas are better linked by both transport and technology.

In a report in response, park officers claim that although the Government is seeking to improve broadband coverage, gaps in coverage are likely to remain. Officers say it is vital that the more rural, remote parts of the LEP, including the national park, have access to superfast broadband “to support sustainable economic growth”.

Park officers also claim skills need to be developed alongside improvements in broadband and mobile coverage so that firms can utilise the new technology.