Yorkshire and the function of environmental tourism – Susan Briggs

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After months of uncertainty and going through the ever-changing open / close regulations, Yorkshire tourism businesses are looking forward to better times for the time being.

Saturday, February 6, 2021, 4:31 p.m.

We have already seen how much people want to travel once they are released from captivity. I think Yorkshire is likely to see a tourism boom. The question is: do we want one?

I’ve spent three decades promoting tourism businesses and destinations. So far the answer has always been “yes”. Of course we want the visitor economy to flourish.

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Businesses and communities desperately need the income that tourists bring. But we cannot simply attract more and more visitors without taking into account their impact on local residents and the environment.

“/>Malham Cove is very popular with hikers and tourists, but how can its environment be protected? Photo: Bruce Rollinson.

We’re in a hurry to hit the restart button. During the initial lockdown, we said we were reconsidering the way we do things.

These discussions seem to have stalled. Nature flourished when people stayed away. Then there was a sudden influx of visitors to the coast and land, highlighting the negative effects of tourism: more rubbish, careless parking, fires and anti-social behavior.

We got some realizations without really learning anything. If we can all travel again, there is a risk of luring too many visitors to the wrong places, destroying fragile landscapes and alienating residents.

This is not something that tourism companies need to tackle alone. We need the concerted efforts of goal managers, councilors, and community leaders.

“/> The landscapes of Malham Cove are shown regularly on television – but to the detriment of the environment? Photo: Tony Johnson.

As a board member of the Tourism Management Institute, I have studied the concerns and activities of destination managers across the UK and figured out what it takes to support the tourism industry and secure its future.

Many are considering how to balance the needs of tourism companies, residents, visitors and the environment.

Yorkshire is not at the forefront here: we risk being left behind. We may be proud of our region, but we don’t really seem to care or take action.

Target organizations in other areas are shifting their efforts from target marketing to visitor management.

“/> Green tourism offers Yorkshire opportunities but also pitfalls,” warns Susan Briggs.

They focus on the value tourism can bring and how it can benefit host communities – without harming them. Some speak of more sustainable tourism.

Others have switched to the idea of ​​regenerative tourism and not only think about the monetary value, but also take into account the ecological, social and cultural effects.

How can tourism actually do good? How can residents be actively involved in services that could benefit both locals and visitors? They proactively shape their future and decide how their visitor economy should look.

The North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are working on these issues, trying to balance the interests of the local economy, residents and the environment.

It can appear like lonely voices while others continue to present honeypot targets instead of encouraging visitors to get off the beaten path.

I loved seeing the Yorkshire Dales on so many current television programs, but almost every one of them includes Malham, which is already over-touristed by holidays.

It’s time more organizations came together to ask some important questions. We have to manage tourism so that it does less harm and is more beneficial.

Part of the problem is how visitors see the landscape.

Your actions can’t be deliberately disrespectful: they just don’t take into account its effects.

The hikers who trample grain for trying not to walk on muddy footpaths fail to realize that they are reducing a farmer’s income. They only see the countryside as a place to stroll that they are encouraged to do.

Is there a way not only to showcase the beauty of Yorkshire, but also to allow visitors to somehow contribute and improve it?

Many visitors are willing to be more active in appreciating the scenery and are happy to pay for opportunities to better understand the places they love. We have to help them find these experiences.

Much has changed since that time last year. We have all lived day in and day out and dared not think too far ahead.

Now there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is time for a more thoughtful approach to shaping Yorkshire tourism, ready for a more positive future.

If we want a region that is both attractive for visitors and a pleasant place to live, we have to think and act differently.

After Covid, we need to protect the natural environment, prevent overtourism, transfer the benefits to lesser known areas and encourage visitors back to the cities.

We need to move away from short-term thinking in advertising campaigns and instead focus on longer-term aspirations. There are so many unanswered questions and we can only answer them by working together across Yorkshire.

Let’s start with further insights into tomorrow’s visitors, what opportunities the business sees and what will be needed in the future.

Let’s bring councils, corporations, environmentalists, and goal managers together to talk about the visitor economy they want to see.

It is a big task and we need a much deeper and broader cooperation to achieve it.

We may lag behind, but it at least means we have an opportunity to learn from those who lead the way.

Susan Briggs is the director of the Tourism Network. She lives in Masham.

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