Cumbria Destination Management Plan Update Feb 2026

CUMBRIA’S VISITOR ECONOMY: SUPPORTING GROWTH

• A world class destination

• Creating social and economic impact

• Championing Cumbria as a great place to invest, live, work, study and visit

£4.6BN

TOTAL VISITOR SPEND IN 2024

43,500

FTE JOBS SUPPORTED IN TOURISM 10%

GROWTH IN STAYING VISITORS SINCE 2019

£1.2BN SPENT WITHIN INDIRECT SUPPLY CHAIN

GROWTH IN REVENUE IN THE PAST 10 YEARS

28% OF CUMBRIA’S TOTAL EMPLOYMENT

£1.1BN SPENT WITHIN FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR 19%

15 MICHELIN STARS (MORE THAN ANYWHERE OUTSIDE LONDON)

£600M SPENT ON TRANSPORT SECTOR

INTRODUCTION

from the Destination Management Plan Steering Group

Tourism is Cumbria’s rural economic engine and its unique place shaping force. This £4.6bn visitor economy not only welcomes visitors but sustains thousands of jobs, supports communities, enhances the landscapes and culture, and delivers vast health and wellbeing benefits. Our visitor economy is not only vital locally — it generates significant benefits regionally and nationally, strengthening the UK’s global reputation and contributing to inclusive growth.

In 2024, public and private sector partners led the development of a Destination Management Plan (DMP) for Cumbria, establishing a shared vision, objectives and action plan. Strong progress is already being made and we are pleased to present a snapshot of progress to date.

However we remain ambitious and committed to go further, to work smartly together to achieve our vision and realise the benefits for our visitor economy, communities and environment.

The new Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) now offers an opportunity to make a compelling case for further joined up working as well as public and private sector investment. By embedding the DMP as a pillar of the MCA’s investment strategy, we can speak with one unified voice, unlock external investment and further enhance wider economic, social, and environmental benefits.

This Destination Management Plan has been led by Cumbria Tourism in consultation with the following partners:

OUR VISION

“By 2030 Cumbria will be Britain’s most vibrant and sustainable rural destination, boasting a reputation for quality, welcome and adventure for everyone –bringing benefits for our visitors, economy, nature and communities.”

OUR SHARED OBJECTIVES ARE TO:

Drive economic growth

Ensure our destination is resourced to deliver 1 2 3 4

Enable responsible and sustainable tourism

Be inclusive and accessible

PROGRESS TO DATE

OBJECTIVE – DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCREASING THE VALUE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF CUMBRIA’S VISITOR ECONOMY

Over the past year, more than £400 million of Government funding has been committed to drive economic growth in Cumbria’s under­visited locations. This investment is transforming towns, coastal communities and rural centres by:

• Delivering regeneration projects and new visitor products

• Supporting cultural and leisure facilities

• Promoting destinations in off peak periods

• Growing international visitor markets.

By combining regeneration investment, new product development, targeted marketing, off peak campaigns and international outreach, Cumbria is building a sustainable, resilient and high value visitor economy.

Strategic investment highlights

• Carlisle and Maryport: city centre and coastal regeneration projects

• Carlisle: ‘Project Tullie’

• Kirkby Stephen and Kendal: capital investments via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

• Shipyard Town Gallery at the Dock Museum, Barrow: funded through the National Heritage Lottery Fund

• Penrith and Ulverston: Borderlands Place Programme projects

• Cumbria Coastal Route: completion of viability study to unlock coastal tourism

• Maryport Activity Centre redevelopment and ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ playpark

• Silecroft Beach Cafe

• Improvements to Penrith Players Theatre and The Roxy, Ulverston

• Development of The Edge, Whitehaven

Taking Cumbria to the world

International visitor spend is 55% higher than domestic visitors, often generating valuable out of season business.

Targeted marketing and engagement with key markets including the USA, China, Australia, India and northern Europe helped grow the share of overseas visitors to 15% in 2025, up from 3% in 2022 (and 12% in 2018).

Investment in the Coast to Coast path to meet National Trail standards, attracting domestic and overseas travellers who will pass through many communities, including: St Bees, Ennerdale Bridge, Rosthwaite, Grasmere, Patterdale, Shap, Kirkby Stephen and the Yorkshire Dales.

Spreading the love

Cumbria’s ‘Let’s Go’ marketing campaigns, alongside additional spotlight on everywhere from Carlisle to the Coast, the West of Windermere and Eden, have reached 800million+.

Meanwhile, the value of tourism to less well visited areas of Cumbria has increased from 47.4% in 2022 to 48.4% in 2024 (STEAM).

Spreading the love outside the main visitor season has included Dark Skies festivals in Cumbria and the Yorkshire Dales International Dark Sky Reserve, and new product such as Grizedale Observatory.

CASE STUDY: Cumbria Coastal Route

Building on major investment in our coastal towns, the development of the King Charles III England Coast Path, great rail and cycling connectivity, and with an eye on the emergence of Eden Project North, a viability study exploring opportunities to develop and position Cumbria's Coast as a multi­user 'route' of national and international significance has identified opportunities to:

• Tap into the growing market for multi day sustainable touring routes

• Develop a multi­faceted tourist attraction outside Cumbria’s ‘core’ visitor areas, balancing the benefits and impacts of visitor management

• Expand the visitor economy lens to benefit all parts of Cumbria

• Drive sustained and responsible tourism

• Engage communities to benefit from growth opportunities

• Improve health and wellbeing

• Raise the reputation of the coast as a great place to live, work and visit

We are working with businesses and communities to help realise these opportunities.

OBJECTIVE – ENABLE RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Cumbria is further embedding responsible and sustainable tourism principles by:

• Increasing sustainable travel options and uptake

• Investing in public transport infrastructure for visitors and communities

• Actively managing destinations to balance visitor flows

• Leading on environmental stewardship through initiatives like Love Windermere

• Businesses raising and contributing millions of pounds to invest in and support communities, people, culture, heritage and nature

Together, these actions form part of our shared commitment to a balanced, low­carbon, community­focused visitor economy.

Strategic investment highlights

• Improving bus services: Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils invested £9m across the region backed by government bus funding

• Seasonal shuttle services in Wasdale, Buttermere, Langdale and Ullswater — together with the Cross Lakes Service — have helped alleviate traffic issues at the busiest times

• Strategic Visitor Management Group (SVMG) ‘Area Action Plans’ help ensure growth is sustainable, managed and aligned with community needs

• Wasdale: managing visitor flows, parking and shuttle services to reduce traffic

• Castlerigg Stone Circle for Summer Solstice: introducing Public Space Protection Orders and multi­agency patrols to safeguard heritage and manage crowds.

• ‘Influence the Influencer’ campaign reaching new audiences with new social media platforms

• Award­winning Let’s Go Car Free campaign, funded through the private sector

• Yorkshire Dales Explorer Saturday Service: Manchester to Ribblehead, linking to Settle­Carlisle service, and services to Carlisle

• Avanti West Coast continuation of the London to Keswick ticket

Other key initiatives have included:

• Vast improvements to frequency and timings of bus services across Eden, Furness and South Lakeland with 9 funded services maintained

• Strategic Visitor Management Group (SVMG) multi­agency visits to Lake District hotspots: balancing visitor access with conservation through transport, signage, and enforcement measures

• The Love Windermere Action Plan: 33 coordinated actions to improve water quality, to support sustainable tourism, reassure communities and restore the ecological health of England’s largest lake

• Hundreds of local causes benefitting from millions of pounds in visitor and business giving.

14%

INCREASE IN THE SHARE OF PEOPLE ARRIVING BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

14.76%

INCREASE IN EV USERS

CASE STUDY: Strategic Visitor Management Group (SVMG)

The countywide Strategic Visitor Management Group brings together key organisations to manage visitor pressures and help protect the special place we’re all proud to call home.

SVMG includes a number of partner organisations, including the Lake District National Park Authority, both of Cumbria’s local authorities, Cumbria Police, Mountain Rescue and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Cumbria Tourism and major landowners such as The National Trust and Forestry England.

It acts as a coordinated, multi­stakeholder body in a collective effort to manage the impacts of visiting — such as litter, parking, fly camping, visitor movement — and ensure Cumbria remains a clean, safe and welcoming place for all.

A number of positive changes are being driven directly through the group:

• Visitor behaviour interventions such as joint ranger patrols and education campaigns championing ‘leave no trace’ and ‘Adventure Smart’ messaging

• Infrastructure and amenity improvements include coordinating seasonal shuttle buses, overflow car parks, additional bins and signage to ease seasonal pressures

• Enforcement support: working with both councils around parking enforcement and addressing anti­social behaviour

• Strategic planning through tactical, area­specific action plans to respond to highpressure at the busiest times of year. SVMG monitors visitor activity, collects data and uses it to decide which interventions to prioritise — and when

• Community engagement with local communities (such as Parish Councils) to understand residents’ concerns and co­design solutions

OBJECTIVE – ENSURING AN INCLUSIVE & ACCESSIBLE VISITOR DESTINATION

We are committed to delivering adventure for all and, in turn, growing this important market segment.

Through business/training support, targeted campaigns/events, grants and public sector investment, the visibility and accessibility of Cumbria as a truly inclusive place for everyone is improving. Not only is this positive for health and wellbeing but also for economy.

Together we are working to ensure those with hidden disabilities or other access requirements can enjoy our landscapes, culture, and hospitality ­ while boosting the local economy.

Strategic investment highlights

• Campaigns like Accessible Cumbria and Adventure for Everyone are enabling the county to improve facilities, train businesses and promote inclusive experiences

• Investment in accessibility improvements at the Lake District Coast Aquarium (Maryport), Tullie Museum (Carlisle) and Dock Museum (Barrow) has included lifts, ramps and sensoryfriendly spaces. Theatre by the Lake (Keswick) offers captioned and audio­described performances, alongside wheelchair access

• Roll out of ‘AccessAble’ support to businesses

• Fells for All Festival

• Lake District for Everyone research, supported by The Lake District Foundation

• ‘Let’s Go Culture’ campaign: highlighting diverse cultural experiences beyond traditional outdoor tourism

• 20 Changing Places facilities created across the county

• New Miles without Stiles routes, adding to existing MWS routes countywide including in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

14% OF VISITOR GROUPS INCLUDE SOMEONE WITH A HEALTH ISSUE OR DISABILITY THAT LIMITS DAILY ACTIVITIES

40% OF VISITORS CHOOSE CUMBRIA FOR ITS WELLBEING BENEFITS

20 CHANGING PLACES ACROSS CUMBRIA

50

EASY‑ACCESS WALKING ROUTES SUITABLE FOR WHEELCHAIRS, PUSHCHAIRS AND PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY

CASE STUDY: Changing Places - Supporting people with complex access needs

Changing Places toilets help ensure visitor destinations are inclusive and can be enjoyed by all. They go beyond standard accessible toilets by providing extra space, a peninsular toilet, a height­adjustable adult­sized bench, a hoist and enough room for at least two carers, and sometimes shower or changing facilities. This helps people with complex disabilities go out and use public spaces with dignity, safety, and care.

A number of registered Changing Places toilets have now been created across Cumbria, to help improve accessibility. Notable recent examples include:

• Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway unveiled a fully accessible changing room and toilet facilities in a converted building on Platform One at Ravenglass. The new facilities can be used by anyone, not just visitors to the railway ­ out­of­hours they remain accessible by RADAR key.

• New Changing Places toilets opened at Tebay Services Northbound and at Rheged near Penrith, improving access to a key transport hub and visitor venues.

• A facility at Barrow Park Leisure Centre opened – a welcome step for accessibility in the Barrow area.

• The modular installation at Silloth Green on the Solway coast is an example of expanding Changing Places provision beyond urban centres and transport hubs, making rural areas more accessible.

OBJECTIVE – SUPPORTING THE SECTOR TO DELIVER WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCES

Tourism accounts for 75,000 jobs in Cumbria ­ 28% of all employment. For Cumbria, tourism is not just about visitors ­ it’s also about building resilient communities, a successful and diverse economy and ensuring the county thrives as a world­class, inclusive destination.

By investing in housing, skills, innovation and transport, Cumbria is ensuring its visitor economy has the workforce, infrastructure and resources to deliver world­class experiences sustainably.

The Cumbria visitor economy is a powerful engine for local supply chains. By driving demand for food, drink, transport, culture and services, tourism sustains thousands of businesses and jobs across Cumbria ­ ensuring that communities benefit directly from visitor spending.

Together, these elements ensure Cumbria is a destination that is welcoming, sustainable, and inclusive, ensuring communities, businesses and the environment all benefit.

Strategic investment highlights

• Westmorland and Furness Council has agreed an ambitious housing strategy, aimed at ensuring that everyone in the area has access to high­quality, affordable, and sustainable housing.

• The visitor economy in Cumbria is a major driver of local supply chains: generating more than £1.2 billion in indirect spending, supporting thousands of businesses and sustaining jobs across food, drink, transport, and cultural sectors.

• Development of the Cumbria Tourism Talent Hub, alongside school and college work, an award­winning 'Welcome to Work in the Visitor Economy' project, and hundreds of people being helped into work ­ building skills and ensuring Cumbria can deliver world­class visitor experiences supported by a strong, inclusive workforce.

• Cumbria now boasts 15 Michelin stars, more than anywhere outside London: showcasing how visitor demand elevates local food supply chains (local producers, farmers and artisan businesses) and creates strong links between tourism and agriculture.

• New worker transport initiatives and routes including: Barrow to Windermere, Penrith to Workington, and Whitehaven to Rosehill Theatre.

£4.6BN

TOTAL VISITOR SPEND IN 2024 48% OF TOURISM BUSINESS REPORT RECRUITMENT AS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM

47M VISITS ANNUALLY, OF WHICH £1.2BN FLOWS INTO THE INDIRECT SUPPLY CHAIN

£1.1BN GENERATED BY CUMBRIA’S FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR

CASE STUDY - Welcome to Work in the Visitor Economy

The award­winning ‘Welcome to Work project’ is all about giving those furthest from the labour market opportunities to access meaningful employment.

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in collaboration with both of Cumbria’s local authorities, a range of partners, and delivered by Cumbria Tourism, ‘Welcome to Work’ has seen some great results in its first 12 months: engaging 370 jobseekers and securing jobs for 111 in tourism and hospitality.

That includes people living in remote or economically and socially deprived parts of Cumbria, as well as young people who are ‘not in education, employment, or training’ (NEETs), refugees, exoffenders and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or physical or mental health conditions.

LOOKING AHEAD

Our priorities will include:

International tourism - Grow Cumbria’s share of international visitors.

International visitors stay longer, spend more, visit off peak and have a presumption for sustainable travel. They also now represent around 15% of Cumbria’s total volume and contribute significantly to revenue.

The Government has stated its ambition to grow international tourism to 50 million visitors a year by 2030 and to increase the share visiting the North of England. We want to grow the value of international visitors by 10% by 2030.

Town regeneration - Develop the tourism offer of our coastal towns, building on the investment through Team Barrow, Town Deals and Borderlands to maximise the opportunity to deliver transformational growth.

This will:

• Increase the profile and attractiveness of the area as a place to live, work, study and visit

• Diversify the business economy and career opportunities

• Attract investment

• Increase pride in place, health and wellbeing

Housing and regeneration - Deliver more affordable homes to attract/retain more working age residents and keep talent in Cumbria.

Investment in housing, culture, town centre regeneration and transport makes Cumbria attractive to younger demographics. Strategic projects like the Cumbria Coastal Route (CCR) can support local businesses, improve connectivity and attract new residents.

The Lingholm Estate

Transport – Invest in transport as a critical enabler of Cumbria’s economy, continuing to offer worker transport solutions and investing in existing and new routes.

Without reliable, sustainable and inclusive transport for both residents and visitors, the county cannot deliver world­class sustainable experiences, support the workforce, supply chain or create resilient communities.

Local economy – Develop a Tourism Data Hub to provide evidence for smarter investment decisions, ensuring growth is targeted and effective.

Tourism in Cumbria supports the economy by sustaining jobs, strengthening local supply chains, and driving investment in infrastructure, culture and place­shaping.

Workforce and skills – Continue to build on Cumbria’s Tourism Talent Hub to promote careers in the tourism and hospitality industry.

The £10 million Connect to Work Programme will help people into jobs in the tourism sector, including those furthest from the labour market.

Culture, food and drink, and creative industries –

• Maximise the benefits of Mayoral Combined Authority devolved powers and funding to strengthen cultural infrastructure, creative industries and food and drink sector.

• Secure funding to develop a Cumbria Food & Drink Strategy to build on Cumbria’s £1.1 billion food and drink sector, supporting local supply chain and producers.

• Make a case for investment in a Cumbria Film & TV Office to ‘grow our own’, support the creative industries, and create jobs and skills.

• Develop an ambitious and coordinated Cumbria Festival & Events Strategy to boost productivity, cultural vibrancy and spread events across the year.