Tourism body sets its sights on huge potential of country sports

A NEW tourism body marketing Yorkshire as one of the country’s top destinations for country sports has been launched in a bid to capitalise on its “massive” potential.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Aug 2013, 01:01 BST
Yorkshires famous shooting attracts visitors from many parts of the world, including America. Its contribution to the regions economy is believed to be worth £200m.Yorkshires famous shooting attracts visitors from many parts of the world, including America. Its contribution to the regions economy is believed to be worth £200m.
Yorkshires famous shooting attracts visitors from many parts of the world, including America. Its contribution to the regions economy is believed to be worth £200m.

Country Sports Yorkshire is bringing activities ranging from fly-fishing to shooting under the same banner for the first time to tap into a market worth £480m to Yorkshire’s economy every year.

The group, which has launched a new website aimed at attracting country sports enthusiasts from round the world to Yorkshire, has set out to advise landowners and accommodation providers on how to develop their products and identify new business opportunities.

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The economic contribution of sporting shooting for Yorkshire is believed to be worth £200m. The economic activity generated by angling in England and Wales – based on 2009 research – is estimated to be worth about £1bn.

Recent Scottish research states that every salmon caught is worth £10,000 to the economy.

Country Sports Yorkshire’s sales and marketing manager Andy Brook said: “Many Yorkshire rural businesses are now looking for advice about how to diversify
into tourism and country sports sector and add value to their businesses.

“Shooting, hunting, fly fishing, coarse fishing, clay shooting, gun dog field trials – all this is very fragmented in Yorkshire. This project aims to bring them under one banner. We feel there is as big an offering here as there is in Scotland. We are trying to reach out to a global market.”

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Mr Brook said they hoped to emulate the success of Country Sports South West, which is funded by the taxpayer, via the regional development agency, to the tune of £1.6m.

He said: “We are aware in this financial climate we are not going to get anywhere near the £1.6m Country Sports South West has, but we believe we have a very successful model to run with and that funding will come from the private sector and there will be funding bids going into the relevant bodies in readiness for 2014.

“We think there are huge opportunities for hotels, restaurants and accommodation providers to come on board and promote themselves in a way they have never done before and hit a niche market.

“Shooters will come from all over the world to North Yorkshire. The North York Moors get a lot of Americans. Over here in the Dales we get a lot of people from Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. It’s to tap into the world-wide market.

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“Yes, there are shoots that are over subscribed – but there are many others out there with letting days that want selling.”

CSY, which has the backing of the British Association for 
Shooting and Conservation, Welcome to Yorkshire and the Countryside Alliance, aims to stage four roadshows in the autumn in the Yorkshire Dales, Moors and West and East Yorkshire, as well as hosting a taster day for businesses to experience country sports.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s North Yorkshire area director, David Shields, said: “It is a brilliant idea and we wish him well with this enterprise.

“There is a need for a country sports website to promote the great Yorkshire offer.”

Email [email protected] or visit www.countrysportsyorkshire.co.uk.

Related topics:North YorkshireEnglandWalesYorkshire Dales