Tourism in the peak district national park Essay Example for Free

Tourism in the peak district national park Essay Tourism in the peak district national park- case study, MEDC The peak district national park introduction The peak district is in the north of England and is the oldest national park in Britain. The park has two main areas;   The white peak, mostly in the south is a large plateau of carboniferous lime stone To the west and north lie the dark peaks, a highland area which is more than 609m above sea level, covered by a layer of sand stone In 1951, the Peak District National Park became the first National Park in Britain. It covers 1438 square kilometres (555 square miles) of beautiful countryside from high (636m) windblown moorlands in the north to green farmland and tranquil dales in the south. The diversity of habitats and wealth of wildlife they support make the region of international importance What are the attractions of the national park?   Honey- pot sites like certain villages   The scenery is of outstanding beauty   Boating, fishing and water sports   Cycling, riding. Hang gliding and four-wheel motoring   Sense of remoteness, quite enjoyment of nature Unique biodiversity   Distinctive character of buildings and settlements. Historic buildings, gardens and parks   Easy accessibility from surrounding areas, close to major cities   The Peak District is valued for its cultural heritage including stone circles, ancient hill forts, medieval castles, mills, lead mines and miles of drystone walls. Who visits the national park? The Peak District National Park is surrounded by many large cities (see map above) and is easily accessible to the 15. 7 million people that living within 60 miles of the boundary. Most visitors come from Derbyshire (14%), South Yorkshire (13%), Cheshire (12%) and the other Counties that are partly within the National Park.  22million people visit the national park each year and most of these are day tourists.   International   National   Day trippers What is the national parks policy on tourism?   to conserve and enhance their natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage   to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of their special qualities. With regard to tourism and recreation, the Authority has recognised there is a need to:   provide for those seeking quiet enjoyment of the National Park through promoting quiet active recreation, such as walking, cycling etc. Achieve a more even spread of visits over the year the tourism market is very seasonal and many places are overcrowded in the summer and very quiet in winter.   increase the number of staying visitors (who stay one or more nights) as they spend more money and so help support the many small businesses that depend on tourism.   reduce the number of visits made by car in all parts of the National Park, efforts are being made to encourage greater use of public transport with extra bus services and special routes serving popular honeypot areas. Promote understanding of the special qualities of the Peak District to visitors.   maximise local social and economic benefits. The parks sustainable tourism strategy is; 1. to increase visitor spend and maximise the local benefits of that spend 2. to encourage visitors to stay longer 3. to encourage visits throughout the year 4. to attract new visitors (with potential spending power) where appropriate 5. to reduce dependency on the car when visiting the area 6. to deliver for local people and not just visitors 7. to conserve the landscape, including the towns and villages, and their special qualities 8. To enhance visitor enjoyment and understanding of the market towns and rural areas 9. to ensure that the traditional enjoyment of the Peak District will be more accessible to a wider range of people 10. to encourage best use of existing resources Benefits of tourism More tourist related jobs and contribution to the economy   Increased income   Increased local services   Encouragement to preserve historic buildings and sites Continuation of traditional crafts   Tourists come to local charity events and spend money Problems with tourism   Footpath erosion. Many valuable eco-systems like water meadows and moorland areas have been harmed   Archaeological features lost due to changes in farming conditions i. e. farmers introducing drainage systems.   Increased numbers of people arriving by car. 90% of the 20million people living within an hours drive come by car   Road traffic within the park has grown by over 60%   Tourists leaving gates open and farm animals escaping   Higher pollution, congestion and parking difficulties   Tourists less considerate and drop litter Services are put in place for them like cafes and restaurants which ruin the scenery Inconsiderate parking   Local birds living on moorland areas are driven out of their homes   Livestock can be killed by dogs not kept on leads How can tourism be managed? Active recreation;   A cycle hire scheme and special routes along disused railway lines or traffic free roads has been provided at 4 centres (Parsley Hay, Upper Derwent, Ashbourne and Waterhouses) with around 55,000 hirings per year.   There are 55 reservoirs of over 2 hectares in area in the National Park. Fishing is allowed on twelve of these and sailing on five of them. There is a gliding centre at Great Hucklow, and several sites for hang gliding eg. at Mam Tor and Stanage. There are 14 stables with horses for hire in and around the Peak District. Providing accommodation;   65% of visits to the Peak District National Park are day visits, the remainder being visits by people staying on holiday (4. 8 nights on average).   A range of accommodation is provided for staying visitors: camping and caravan sites (114 authorised sites with authorisation for 4,646 caravans and 891 tents), 13 camping barns, 13 Youth Hostels and Bed Breakfast in a large number of private houses, pubs or hotels. The 1998 Visitor Survey showed that staying visitors spend on average i 21-26/day compared with day visitors who spend an average of i 7. 30/day in the Park Traffic control;   The South Pennines Integrated Transport Strategy (SPITS) has been devised by the Peak District National Park Transport Forum to control visitor traffic over the next 20 years.   The Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership aims to encourage the use of buses and trains within this popular valley. Work includes publicity and marketing, enhanced service levels, special events, walks and local arts promotions Footpath management;   The Pennine Way, the most popular long distance path and with the greatest erosion problems, has been paved for most of its length within the Park. This has prevented further erosion and has led to the re-vegetation of previously eroded peat.   Dovedale is a honeypot area where the footpath through the dale can be used by up to 1,000 people an hour. A better path has been constructed to cope with this heavy pressure. A Local Countryside Access Forum has been set up to explore how the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 can be implemented in the Peak District with the potential to open up a further 18000ha of land for public use. Ranger services; The Peak District National Park Authority Ranger Service provides information and advice to visitors and local communities and resolves immediate problems created by visitor pressure. The Rangers carry out practical countryside work and provide rescue services. Conservation Volunteers help with wildlife conservation and practical maintenance.