Harrogate International Centre

The Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate area has won European recognition for its work in promoting tourism.

 

And it has now become one of just 48 regions in Europe to receive the prestigious European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas award. It is the first part of Yorkshire and only the sixth area of the United Kingdom to have been recognised since the scheme was launched in 2001.

 

The award scheme is run by the EUROPARC Federation, an umbrella organisation with its headquarters in Germany that brings together the organisations responsible for the management of over 400 protected areas across the continent.

 

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) applied for the Charter on behalf of the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership (TP), which aims to promote the development of the area as a sustainable tourism destination. The bid was supported by Yorkshire Forward, which leads on tourism in the Yorkshire region.

 

Partnership Chairman Steve Macare said: "We are delighted with the news. It is a fantastic achievement that will bring benefits to the area.

"This is a culmination of a team effort over the last six months and special thanks must go to everyone, especially the businesses, that took part in the visit by the verifier in April which we understand was very well received. 

 

"However, although the application only took six months, in real terms it's the recognition of the many years of joint working by local authority and other partners on tourism matters since the mid-1980s

 

"It will mean a higher profile nationally and across Europe for the area as well as new links to organisations in the tourism sector at local regional and national level as well as opportunities for exchange of expertise and experience.

 

"It will also enable both the protected areas in the Yorkshire Dales the National Park and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural beauty to sign EUROPARC charter partnership agreements with local businesses enabling both parties to benefit through closer working relationships."

 

Chris Fowler, Tourism Partnership Vice-Chairman and General Manager of The National Trust's Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Estate near Ripon, said: "This prestigious European accreditation is fantastic recognition for the areas of conservation within the National Trust's ownership in the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate area and their contribution to tourism.

 

"Fountains Abbey and Malham Tarn Estate in particular have excelled in conservation work in recent years, caring for a World Heritage Site and National Nature Reserve respectively.

"As a conservation organisation The National Trust is always pleased when contributions to sustainable tourism are highlighted; thereby raising the profile of nature conservation and environmental practices in the countryside."

 

Andy Tordoff, Head of Rural Renaissance and Tourism at Yorkshire Forward said: "The EUROPARC award will help to secure a stronger future for tourism businesses in the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership area. It will provide additional marketing opportunities for businesses and make a positive contribution to this high-quality destination and the wider rural economy in the region".

 

The verifier highly praised the National Park Authority's work on the management of footpaths, green lanes and bridleways and gave a pat on the back to the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

The internationally-recognised European Charter is awarded to protected areas that support "sustainable tourism" tourism that contributes to local economic development while preserving the area's natural and cultural resources. Current holders include Spain's Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada, Italy's Parco delle Alpi Marittime, as well as the Cairngorms in Scotland and the Brecon Beacons in Wales in this country.

 

The Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership is a not-for-profit organisation committed to improving the visitor experience and to tourism as a positive contributor to economic and environmental sustainability. It can be contacted at the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership office at 1st Floor, Town Hall, Cheapside, Settle BD24 9EJ, by telephoning 01729 825470 or by visiting the website www.yorkshiredales.org.

The Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate TP area in 2006 received 13.85 million visitors, generating 20.69 million visitor days per year. The area encompasses the districts of Craven, Richmondshire, and Harrogate Borough, plus parts of South Lakeland and Eden that lie east of the M6, A685 and south of the A66.

 

Partners in the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate TP include Craven District Council, Richmondshire District Council, South Lakeland/Eden District Council, Harrogate Borough Council, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and the Yorkshire Tourist Board.

 

Media enquiries for the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership should be directed to Tom Stirling,

tom.stirling@richmondshire.gov.uk or 01748 827029.