THE countdown clock is ticking as the team behind the Lake District's bid to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status prepare to find out if their application has been successful.

The verdict in July will conclude an arduous journey for the Lake District World Heritage Bid, which aims to give the beauty spot the same protection rights enjoyed by Australia's Great Barrier Reef, India's iconic Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) say the primary plus point would be heightened Government protection through a signed convention.

An improved status and a global recognition of the Lake District's standing would also expect to bring an increase to tourism. A rise of just one per cent in visitors spending on accommodation, leisure, and food and drink would be worth approximately £20 million.

Mike Innerdale, assistant director for the National Trust in the Lake District, was looking forward to the prospect of the national park being on a par with some of the world's best known tourist attractions.

"There's a variety of benefits to it, the first one being the global recognition," he said. "It would give us a badge to sit alongside the great places in the world.

"With that comes international profile which would bring economic benefits to the area. It will attract international visitors and the evidence we have is they are likely to stay for longer and spend more."

Dozens of organisations have come together to form the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP) to develop the bid. It started in January 2014 when the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recommended the national park as the UK's nominated site.

Planning, consultation, and the preparation of a nomination dossier followed and that was submitted to UNESCO on February 1 last year.

Steve Ratcliffe, LDNPA's director of sustainable management and chair of the LDNPP’s World Heritage Programme Management Group, said the bid was about ensuring the Lake District was properly looked after for future generations.

"There is a lot of work that has gone on that, even if we don’t get the outcome we want, will have been extremely valuable," he said.

"There is an element of international recognition in becoming a world heritage site. The Lake District is such a special place. Most people see the landscape and see the value there but it is far more than that and World Heritage status makes us understand the place better."

Cumbria Tourism's managing director Ian Stephens added: "It recognises the outstanding environment and artistic and conservation heritage that the Lake District has," he said. "It's an opportunity to refresh the story we tell about the Lake District to audiences across the world.

"Generally World Heritage sites are popular tourist destinations which generate significant spending on local accommodation and the retail and hospitality sectors. We're hopeful that World Heritage status will attract higher-spending visitors both from the UK and overseas."