A rural tourism scheme which emphasises the importance of local landscapes has helped boost bookings in the south east, including in the New Forest.
As English Tourism Week (16-24 March) signals the start of the 2013 domestic tourist season, rural tourism initiative Our Land has announced that despite 2012’s poorest tourist season for a decade, it created more than 10,000 overnight stays across the South East. In the first 16 months of operation it has also more than doubled the return on public investment by DEFRA over the same period, generating £750,000 for rural economies.
Our Land was launched in October 2011 by the New Forest National Park Authority, South Downs National Park Authority, and seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the South East and it currently represents 16 protected landscapes across the country.
The initiative champions Britain’s countryside and rural responsible tourism. Set up to develop and promote locally distinctive experiences it ensures the rural economy simultaneously receives a crucial boost. National Park and AONB managers work with local businesses to help develop their commitment to tourism that benefits their local community and landscape. Once successful, businesses feature on www.our-land.co.uk - a website offering visitors a selection of 800 hand picked holidays.
Statistics from the last tourist season had set a very gloomy picture revealing the impact of Britain’s wettest summer for 100 years. The washed out summer and the decrease in UK domestic travel over the Olympic period, coupled with the depressing economic climate triggered the worst domestic tourist season in over a decade.