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The news from Krakow on 9^th July 2017 will prove to be one of the Lake District’s most significant milestones.

It’s understandable that some have voiced concern at any increase to the numbers to the area which is currently recorded at 18 million annually. Sheer volume should not be the objective but more focus on creating increased revenue into the economy of Cumbria. The bar of expectation has been raised but we must also raise the quality of experience if we are to truly capitalise on this opportunity. At English Lakes we have displayed not only a continued dedication to the region but a real confidence in the future of the Lake District by investing £16 million into Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa in Windermere.

The global recognition of UNESCO World Heritage Site status will provide a huge promotional boost to the region’s tourism industry. The added awareness and credibility is something no marketing campaign even with a very large budget could achieve. The landscape, the culture and the people working within the national park are being congratulated and recognised from a very high level and the world will take notice.

The majority of visitors to the Lake District are domestic but the international visitors we welcome to the area in their thousands are hugely important to the sustainable tourism success for many businesses. Mid-week business is essential to help maintain good jobs in the industry, good occupancy figures, good attraction entrance numbers, good shop sales and restaurant bookings, all buying local produce and requiring local support services all year round every day of the week.

I joined the World Heritage Marketing Group to help shape We Are The Lakes – a free, simple-to-use and modern looking campaign that celebrates World Heritage Site status, available for all businesses to use in their marketing. As part of the campaign, a selection of people who live, work and like to visit the area recorded short stories about what the Lake District means to them. Computer software was then used to turn the audio stories into graphic storylines to give the campaign a fresh, contemporary feel.

The Lake District’s new globally recognised status will elevate our profile exponentially and help us leap frog not only other UK destinations but potentially other European and Worldwide places of significance to visit.

I encourage my fellow businesses to get involved with this special new status, just as we have here at English Lakes.

Lake District born and bred I am proud to be in a position to help deliver the best possible experience and with so many like minded people I am also proud to say ‘We Are The Lakes – World Heritage’.

Shout We Are The Lakes! Free resources available on the toolkit pages and join in the conversation by using #WeAreTheLakes on social media.