Tourism chief hopes for boost to economy

AS well as sore legs and washing machines full of muddy clothes, the aftermath of yesterday’s walk may also mean a boost in the books of many businesses in the Hope Valley.

Chief executive of the Visit Peak District tourism board, David James, was in Hope yesterday to see off the walkers, and stressed the importance of such events for the local economy.

Mr James, who has been in the top job at Visit Peak District for seven years, said: “For us, it’s really about getting city dwellers out of suburbia into the outdoors.

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“Any opportunity or excuse to work with people like Mike Tomlinson is great in helping us with that.

“We do very well at getting Middle England to walk, but what we’re not good at is getting people who are socally disadvantaged out.

“Events like this raise the profile of the area, and get city people who usually wouldn’t think of being in the countryside out here.”

Mr James also stressed the accessibility of the Hope Valley from the large urban conurbations of Sheffield and Manchester.

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“You can get the train straight here and enjoy a nice walk”, he said. “Our main priority, though, is to get people to come for short breaks.

“The longer people stay, the more money they will spend and the more regeneration vibrates through the community.”

The impact of foot and mouth disease in 2001 has also made businesses in the Peaks acutely aware of the importance of tourism.

“There’s a real sense of welcome for tourists in the Peak District. Up until the foot and mouth, I think they were a bit taken for granted,” Mr James said. “After that, the penny really dropped. People realised they were dependent on visitors and knew they had to look after them.”

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Many pubs in Hope and Castleton enjoyed a brisk trade yesterday evening as walkers revived themselves with hot pies and cold beer, while others spent money in shops that would otherwise have been quiet on a wet Sunday.