ETC launches countryside campaign

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael and Heritage Minister Tessa Blackstone are today formally launching a new campaign to encourage people into the English countryside.

The campaign, entitled, ‘Your Countryside, You’re Welcome’, is backed by almost 50 organisations – including the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, the Ramblers Association, the National Trust, English Heritage and the Outdoor Industries Association – in order to promote the English countryside and to remind people that the countryside is open for business now that Foot and Mouth is over (98 per cent of Rights of Way in England are now open).

The campaign is also supported by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), the DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport), the English Tourism Council and The Countryside Agency. The four official bodies are acting as co-ordinators for the wider group and are helping to communicate the generic ‘visit the countryside’ message.

As part of the campaign, March 11-17 will be designated ‘Your Countryside, You’re Welcome’ Week, to encourage people into the countryside for the forthcoming Easter period, as well as aid people’s planning for summer and beyond.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said: “It is essential that we all make every effort to welcome people to the countryside for 2002. We have one of the world’s most beautiful and diverse rural landscapes, offering a wealth of interesting things to see and do. This unique partnership between organisations and government, plus those commercial companies that are joining this movement, is now working hard to get that message across. It is a rare opportunity to re-connect town and country – something that was needed before Foot and Mouth, but a high priority which everyone now understands.”

In conjuntion with the ‘Your Countryside, You’re Welcome’ campaign, Quadrangle Market Research recently carried out a survey which found that:

[Research undertaken by Quadrangle Market Research, 14-20 January 2002 on behalf of Your Countryside, You’re Welcome campaign. 2,500 members of the general public and 500 rural businesses were questioned across the 10 Regional Tourist Board regions.]

The English Tourism Council estimates that trips by UK residents to England were down by six per cent in 2001, resulting in an earnings loss of £2 billion (Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey 2001). However, the ETC believes confidence is high at the beginning of this year, with businesses in the South, South East and East of England particularly positive. These regions are ones that have the highest proportion of their business from local people on day trips, while Cumbria, Yorkshire and the North West get most business from tourists from other parts of the UK.

Almost half (49%) of all businesses surveyed have also seen an increase in business in January 2002, compared to January 2001. Nearly two thirds (62%) of businesses in Northumbria have experienced an increase, compared to 38% in Cumbria and 46% in both Yorkshire and the South West.