New report looks at charging visitors to help fund upkeep of tourism hotspot

Visitors to the Lake District could be asked to pay towards the region’s upkeep in a range of taxes or levies suggested in a new report published today (November 20).

Landscape charity, Friends of the Lake District, has called for a debate about how to meet the real cost of tourism in the Lake District National Park, following the report looking into the issues.

While recognising the huge benefits that tourism brings to the local economy, the charity argues that there are costs connected to it, where the number of visitors exceeds infrastructure capacity, and causes harm to the environment and communities of the area.

By finding a way to address these issues, the Lake District National Park can be improved for visitors, businesses and residents, it says.

The report ‘Who Pays for the Lake District?’ by sustainable tourism specialist Dr Davina Stanford, identifies where tourism is creating an “invisible burden” on the Lake District National Park’s landscape, environment and communities, and then looks at how different tourist destinations across Europe deal with visitor impacts.

The report also examines the ways that local authorities could raise money connected to tourism to make a positive difference to area.

The report finds that there are significant issues directly linked to the 18 million visitors a year who come to the Lake District.

These include sewage discharge into lakes and rivers, high carbon emissions, congestion and damage to the landscape from visitor car journeys, and the ‘hollowing out’ of communities due to second homes and holiday lets.

Options to raise money from visitors so that it can be invested in infrastructure improvements should be investigated by local authorities and the Lake District National Park Authority, says the charity.

Dr Stanford’s research shows that there are several different ways that money can be raised, based on case studies from around the world.

These include a tax on overnight stays, a visitor vehicle levy charge, a visitor parking charge, or the development of a tourist improvement district.

Friends of the Lake District’s Policy Officer, Dr Kate Willshaw, said: “We know that tourism plays a vital role in supporting local economies.

“But we also know, from this research, it brings with it a cost that is not currently being met.

“Based on this research, we believe that we need to explore the various schemes that could be implemented to address the impacts of tourism in the Lake District and unlock investment in vital areas like public transport.”

She added: “We hope that this report provides the basis for a discussion about the most appropriate type of scheme for the Lake District, and for developing a plan to make this happen.”

Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks, said: “When National Parks were established 75 years ago, it was so that all citizens, no matter their background, could immerse themselves in the wonders of nature.

“National Parks are one of the country’s biggest success stories, bringing huge benefits in terms of health and wellbeing, and billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to support rural economies.

“However, National Park Authorities have faced a real terms cut of over 40% in the last decade and are being pushed to breaking point.”

She added: “Today’s report shows that, through innovative visitor levy models, coupled with government funding and effective regulation, the hundred million visits to National Parks each year could become a force for recovery, for nature and ourselves.”