4 September 2007
Tourism worth £260 million to Wealden
Tourism in Wealden generates almost £260 million for local businesses reveals a new report by Tourism South East, which highlights the importance of maintaining and developing the District’s tourism infrastructure.
The report, looking at Wealden in 2005, shows that a great many visitors come because of friends and family, highlighting the social importance of tourism.
Councillor Sylvia Tidy, Cabinet Member for Community Development, said “Wealden has so much to offer visitors whether it’s activities like Drusillas Zoo, Sheffield Park and Michelham Priory, the Seven Sisters coastline and Pevensey Beach, our natural heritage like the Ashdown Forest, the Pevensey Levels and the beautiful scenery of the High Weald, or the cultural heritage of our unique towns and villages. Wealden District Council is striving to promote tourism and the excellent reputation of the area as a place to visit.”
Tourism is one of the largest industries in the UK, accounting for 3.5% of the UK economy – approximately £85 billion in 2005. VisitBritain and enjoyEngland, the national tourism agencies, are investing in rural marketing of tourism through schemes like their Rural Escapes campaign. Wealden and its Enjoy Sussex partners also produced a brochure promoting rural tourism in Wealden, Lewes, Mid Sussex and Horsham districts; and also launched a new website, www.enjoysussex.info.
Sarah Pascoe, Wealden’s Economic Development Manager, adds: “Together with our Enjoy Sussex partner Lewes District Council, our tourism team commissioned Tourism South East’s report as a sound basis for decisions and activities that will promote tourism. We will use this report when working with our partners at district, county and regional levels to develop the infrastructure we need to support tourism. We are also launching a new annual tourism business survey to involve the sector in guiding Wealden’s approach to tourism, identifying future priorities and exploring issues faced by local businesses.”
