Cameron announces plan to boost tourism across flood-hit Cumbria

Prime Minister David Cameron has today announced a support package which aims to boost tourism across the flood-hit north.

The new pack will include £2m of government funding to repair flood-damaged infrastructure across the Lake District National Park, which will be used to fix bridges, rebuild walls and restore footpaths across the popular tourist destination.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said it has identified 180 local apprentices who will be mobilised to help with the park’s repair effort.

Meanwhile, the plan also features £1m in new funding to launch a media campaign, coordinated by VisitEngland, which aims to encourage British families to spend their Easter break in the north of England.

The package builds on the government’s £10m programme to grow tourism in the north, a new £4m ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign and advertising space worth £500,000 which has also been made available at Heathrow to promote flood affected areas.

Cameron said: “From York Minster to Honister Mine, Carlisle Castle to the Leeds Armouries, the north has some of the most iconic tourist attractions the UK has to offer. So it is absolutely right that we do everything we can to make sure these businesses feel supported and ready to receive visitors.

“The measures we’ve announced today are an important step, showcasing the best the region’s tourist industry has to offer while helping one of its key attractions in the Lake District National Park get back on its feet.”

The plan comes after areas of Cumbria were hit by flooding as many as three times during December, with Storm Desmond documenting record levels of rainfall in the county over the weekend of 5 and 6 December.

According to Ian Stephens, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, the floods have resulted in a collapse in the number of forward bookings.