Tourism is important in Cumbria. It enables many people to enjoy our fantastic countryside and understand how special Cumbria is, as well as creating jobs.

Ullswater	View to Morecambe Bay from the Helm

Enjoying now, looking after for the future
Tourism must be sustainable –it needs to benefit the local economy and local people but not so that it damages the environment or spoils the very thing that people want to enjoy.

In 2009 we are sponsoring the Cumbria Tourism Sustainable Tourism Award, for tourism businesses that are reducing their environmental impact through their business practices, as well as raising awareness with their customers about how special Cumbria is. The 2008 winners were Cote How Guest House at Rydal.

David and Caroline Welch from Cote How and our policy officer Judith Moore

Friends of the Lake District works in many areas which help look after the landscape that is vital to tourism. Use the links below to find out more about our work.

Getting out and about
Many people come to Cumbria for the great outdoors. We help look after paths in the fells by putting money into the Fix the Fells project, repairing upland paths and preventing erosion– go to our page on access and recreation or www.fixthefells.co.uk to find out more.

Stony Cove Pike from Wansfell	Windermere

We also run events for local people and visitors to discover more about farming, wildlife and history of Cumbria through our Flora of the Fells

Helping others look after this special place Through our Environmental Improvement Grants we help communities with small scale projects that enhance their local environment, such as drystone walling, funding for new hedgerows and restoration of traditional fingerpost sign posts and historical features such as the Butter Cross at High Ireby. Visitors come to Cumbria for its beautiful countryside and our grants help people enjoy and appreciate it – a direct contribution to tourism.

Our rural roads project aims to declutter and de-urbanise roads in the countryside by removing unnecessary road signs and street furniture, slowing traffic down and keeping the countryside and rural villages from becoming too ‘urbanised’.

Butter Cross High Ireby	Drystone wall at Grasmere school.

Working with others

One of the projects we work on is 'Give the Driver a Break'. We worked with the national park authority to produce a series of leaflets designed to help walkers go experience beautiful parts of the Lake District and Cumbria using public transport to try and reduce the traffic congestion in the county.

We have also provided information on Cumbria Tourism’s website for visitors about getting around by public transport. For visitor information about Cumbria go to www.golakes.co.uk. For more information about Cumbria Tourism see www.cumbriatourism.org.

Looking down Windermere

We are members of the Tourism and Conservation Partnership, a unique organisation that raises money from tourism businesses and their customers to put back into conservation projects in Cumbria. The Partnership has raised £1 million for projects such as red squirrel conservation and repairing upland footpaths. For more information see www.ourstolookafter.co.uk.

We are members of Cumbria Tourism and as well as promoting sustainable tourism through the Sustainable Tourism Award, we raise awareness of the need to consider the environment as well as the economy. In 2008 we helped shape Cumbria Tourism’s strategy which explains how they see tourism development from 2008 to 2018. We are pleased to see that the first priority for tourism is the landscape.