World Heritage Site status set to bring a significant economic boost to the Lake District

WORLD Heritage inscription will not just benefit Cumbria's tourism sector. Food, farming and other rural businesses across the county will also be able to use WHS status to raise their profile and help support marketing.

UNESCO'S decision means Cumbria now has two WHS locations - Hadrian's Wall achieved the status in 1987 - and it is hoped the new accreditation will boost the Lake District and wider Cumbria as a place to invest, to attract new businesses and as a fantastic location in which to live and to work.

The economic gain to be derived from increasing the value of tourism to the county could be significant.

Just a one per cent increase in cultural visitors, spending more on accommodation, leisure activities, and food and drink, could boost our economy by about £20 million.

WHS status should act as a driver to encourage businesses to invest, to raise quality and aspirations and to broaden the offer of the tourism sector. It will help to highlight the area as an all year round destination, increasing business at quieter times when there is surplus capacity, thereby sustaining vitally important year round employment. Indeed, the status may enhance the ability of the area to secure funding and investment.

The World Heritage brand is recognised globally and gives an opportunity to raise the international profile and competitiveness of Lake District and of the businesses operating in and around the area. This will help attract and retain talent and draw potential investment into the region.

WHS status is not an agenda to simply increase visitor numbers. The Lake District already attracts millions of visitor per year, and the aim is to encourage visitors to delve deeper into why the Lake District is so special, to stay longer and to spend more. Hopefully, the status will enable some of the economic benefits of tourism to be spread throughout the national park, and beyond, as cultural trails are developed to encourage visitors to explore the cultural landscape.

Sustainability is central to businesses operating within and around the Lake District, who recognise that the impact of visitors needs to be carefully managed. The ability to transport visitors around the national park in a sustainable manner, by using and enhancing the existing boat, bus and rail service, will be essential. The last thing that operators want is for the visitor experience to deteriorate, which would be a risk if visitor numbers were not properly managed.

The Lake District is an environment shaped by mankind and one that has evolved over the centuries. It is vital that this evolution is allowed to continue and World Heritage Inscription will only be successful for the business community if it results in conservation, not preservation.

The marketing opportunities are great, but it is down to businesses and communities to make the most of the potential benefits we now have before us. If operators simply sit back and hope that economic benefit will automatically come to them, they may be disappointed.

The announcement of WHS inscription has provided a huge media boost, in both the domestic and international markets. This added awareness and credibility that the status brings to the Lake District, could not have been achieved without a huge marketing budget, but businesses need to harness the message, and to use the marketing resources that have been made available through organisations such as Cumbria Tourism and the Lake District National Park Authority, to market their products and services as effectively as possible.

A toolkit has been created using #wearethelakes and businesses will derive maximum benefit by communicating one clear message about the Lake District’s WHS inscription.

We Are The Lakes is a free, simple-to-use and modern-looking campaign, that celebrates World Heritage Site status.

So there’s the opportunity, now let’s go out and make the most of it!

l For more, visit http://lakesworldheritage.co.uk/toolkit/