Member Article

MP unfurls banner for Tourism Week in Cumbria

MP Tim Farron flew the flag for Cumbria’s tourism industry on 12 March when he paid a special visit to Skelwith Fold caravan park in Ambleside as a curtain-raiser to English Tourism Week.

The event, which runs from 14 March, is designed to put the spotlight on England’s tourism sector, and the £97 billion annual contribution it makes to the UK economy.

Mr Farron, who represents Westmorland and Lonsdale, toured Skelwith Fold to see how the park attracts thousands of visitors each year to the Lake District.

The MP met with members of the staff team and with Henry Wild whose long-established family business first acquired the park 18 years ago.

Since then, much time and energy has been put in to restoring the previously neglected 130-acres grounds of a former country house, and introducing new facilities and services.

Skelwith’s reward has been to see a steady growth in visitor numbers for the park’s 450-plus pitches, and a raft of awards for the quality of the surroundings, and its environmental initiatives.

The accolades include the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, and the world-famous botanist has described Skelwith Fold as a “wildlife wonderland”.

Henry Wild told Mr Farron that, according to independent economic research, visitors to Skelwith Fold spend more than £2.6 million in the area every year.

Almost all of that money, said Mr Wild, benefits local enterprises such as shops, cafes, and visitor attractions, supporting the both the businesses and the jobs they provide.

Whilst at the park, the MP helped pay tribute to the special dedication shown by two employees: Jess Sutcliffe and her partner Emma Lightfoot who joined Skelwith four years ago.

In early spring, the couple spent long days and weekends managing Skelwith Fold’s exhibition stand at holiday shows across the country, and gained many new potential customers as a result.

Jess and Emma were presented by Mr Farron with Exceptional Service Awards handed down by the park industry’s official body, the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.

Around 3000 UK holiday parks belong to the association, most of them family-owned businesses, and earlier this year its members elected Henry Wild as their national chairman.

Henry told the MP that he was proud to be playing a role in a vibrant and expanding industry which provides almost a third of all UK holiday bednights, and generates £2.25 billion of tourism spending.

He added that Skelwith Fold had a special appeal to lovers of the natural world, and his family had tried to create a park which was a match for the magnificent surroundings.

Henry Wild said he was delighted that Mr Farron was able to take time out to visit his family’s park, and to help raise the profile of English Tourism Week.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jon Boston .