Last update:

21st June 2007

Quick links:

What makes the South West special?

Tourism in the South West

Culture in the South West

Economic value of tourism in the South West

Economic value of the South West Coast Path

Impact of tourism on the environment

Sustainable tourism

South West access maps

Useful websites:

Culture South West

South West Tourism

Our South West

Visit Britain

Star UK (UK tourism statistics)

National Trust

Tourism

What's new on this page...

• Coastal access for all? Consultation on opening up our coastline
• New tranquillity maps reveal our most peaceful sites in England continue to shrink
• South West access maps - detailing open & linear access in the region, including access according to population and index of multiple deprivation
• Have your say about the South West Coast Path draft Strategy 2006 - 2011.

Tourism is one of the largest industries in the UK (worth approximately £74 billion in 2003 and supporting around 2.1 million jobs), and the South West is the leading holiday destination in the UK.

The tourism sector of the South West's economy is one of its largest industries, worth more than £8 billion annually to the South West economy brought in by almost 26 million visitors and bringing employment for over 300,000 people

A summary of culture in the South West is available from the State of the South West report.

In 2003, the South West accounted for 15% of England’s domestic tourist trips, 21% of nights, and 17% of spending. In terms of visitors from overseas, the region accommodates 8% of trips to England, 8% of the nights and 6% of the spend.

What makes the South West special?

A study by the National Trust found that 78% of all holiday trips to the South West are motivated by the conserved landscape (the managed rural environment, including fields, moors, woods, villages and coastline). (Valuing Our Environment - National Trust, 1998).

The South West's environment is a key factor in attracting visitors and tourists to the region. It's assets include:

A diverse and high quality natural environment:

• 12 complete Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and two partly within the region's boundaries as well as Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks - accounting for 38% of the region
• More than two-thirds (638 km) of England's heritage coast (totalling 1,027 km)
• Over 1,000 kilometres of coastline (including estuaries)
• 46 National Nature Reserves, 978 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), RAMSAR sites (wetland sites of international importance) and many more.
• A high proportion of some of the UK’s rarest and most endangered habitats

More information about wildlife and landscape in the region can be found here.

A rich and varied built and historic environment, including:

• 32% of the country’s scheduled monuments and 26% of all listed buildings
• 3 World Heritage Sites (Dorset and East Devon Jurassic Coast, Bath, and Stonehenge & Avebury stone circles)
• Cornwall and West Devon mining landscape - currently on the Government’s ‘tentative’ list for future World Heritage Sites

Visitors to historic attractions are estimated to spend £5 billion annually (English Heritage, 2004).

More information about the built and historic environment in the region can be found here.

Culture in the South West

The impact of cultural activity on the life of the region extends beyond the obvious economic benefits in terms of business activity and visitor numbers. From visual arts and crafts to theatrical and musical performance, film and video and sports activities to its wealth of museums and natural and built heritage, the South West gains a distinctive identity from its cultural resources and assets.

Culture is integral to our identify and is central to our quality of life.

In Seach of Chunky Dunsters - a cultural strategy for the South West (Culture South West, 2001) sets out what the region can achieve by working together, how best to achieve it and how Culture South West can help to start that process.

This strategy is an important starting point to understanding what culture is in the South West and what is so special about it.

The environment is highlighted as a key factor in influencing and shaping culture, in terms of our high quality of life, the landscape and wildlife, natural resources, built and historic environment.

Outlined in the Strategy is the need to celebrate, champion and increase cultural opportunities across the South West. Four strategic themes emerged:

1. Encouraging increased access to and participation in cultural activities across the South West, capitalising on the latest developments in Information and Communications Technology
2. Improving the quality and relevance of the Region’s cultural activities
3. Supporting the South West’s cultural and creative industries and nurturing creativity
4. Celebrating regional identity and the rich diversity of South West cultural life and traditions.

Joining up: 2004 (Culture South West, 2004) is the first formal report. It reviews what has been achieved since the publication of the regional cultural strategy In search of Chunky Dunsters.

Find out more about our culture:

State of the South West - culture chapter

2020 Vision: Cultural and Creative Futures for the South West explores some of the factors that are likely to impact on cultural futures in the South West in the longer term.

100 things you didn't know about culture in the South West emphasises the importance of the region's environment, including our rights of way network, the Jurassic Coast, archaeology, Stone Henge and many more.

Tourism facts and figures

According to Key Facts of Tourism in the South West 2000 - 2003 (South West Tourism, 2005):

• 22.8 million UK residents visited the South West.
• Total visitor spend £8,294 million annually
• Staying visitors £4,523 million (55%)
• Day visitors £3,771 million (45%)
• Worth up to 10% of regional GDP
• Supports 307,000 ‘actual’ jobs (225,000 FTEs)
• 1 in every 8 jobs in the South West (UK average 1 in 13)

In 2003, 6.4 million trips were made to Devon by UK residents making it the most popular county in the region, followed by Cornwall with 4.9 million trips.

Volume of tourists in the South West 2000 - 2003

Source: South West Tourism (2005)

In terms of where these tourist originate from, in 2003 the majority (23%) came from within the region itself followed by the South East with 21%. The West Midlands and London both accounted for 12% of all visitors to the region.

Rural areas and the seaside are the most popular locations for people staying in the South West (accounting for 63% of all destinations in 2003). There was been relatively little change between 2000 and 2003 in where visitors chosed to stay in the South West, the greatest being an 3% increase in those staying at the seaside and a 2% decline in those staying in the countryside or villages.

Location stayed at in the South West 2000 - 2003

Source: Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey (UKTS) South West Tourism (2005)
Note: * means less than 1%.

Economic value of tourism in the South West

Latest research from South West Tourism confirms that visitor related spend is worth 8 billion to the South West region.

An indication of the range of economic and employment benefits that tourism provides can be seen by the fact that for every £1 spent by staying and day visitors in the South West:

• 31p is spent on food and drink
• 27p on shopping
• 21 on accommodation
• 11 on travel
• 10p on attractions

(South West Tourism, 2005)

The South West Regional Economic Value of Tourism study draws together data from a number of surveys to show the contribution of tourism to the South West economy. It provides the only comparable estimates of the impact of tourism right down to local authority level across the region.

A few key facts are:

• Total day trip spend for 2003 was £2,587,694,790
• UK staying visitors generated 57% of all tourism spend in the region, day visits a further 34% and overseas visitors 9%.
• The South West region relies heavily on the domestic holiday market, with 74% of domestic trips, 83% of domestic nights and 79% of domestic spend being generated from this sector.
• A total of 188,505 full time equivalent jobs are supported (directly and indirectly) by tourism spending in the South West region – equivalent to 254,448 actual jobs.

Economic value of the South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is a national trail that winds its way for 630 miles around the region's peninsula coastline.

It is the longest of 13 national trails in England and Wales, and is recognised as one of the region’s principal tourism assets and leisure facilities.

South West Tourism estimates that each year six million people use the SWCP, making it one of key tourist attractions in the region and a major determinant in people’s holiday decisions.

The Economic Value of the South West Coast Path reports on a project undertaken between 1st December 2002 and 31st March 2003 for South West Tourism and Tourism Associates. It investigates the value derived not just as a result of staying overnight guests (i.e. tourists), but also those using the SWCP as day visitors from the four counties through which it runs (Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset).

Key findings include:

• The total economic value of the South West Coast Path is estimated at £307 million per year
• The South West Coast Path is an important selling point for over 73% of accommodation providers.
• The total economic value derived purely from the South West Coast Path through accommodation of all types is £142.9 million.
• Residents of the four counties that the coastal path runs through generate:
• 23 million walks each year
• An estimated £116 million whilst using the coastal path
• An estimated 2.6 million walks are used to entertain visiting friends and relatives, which brings an an estimated 8.8 million additional walkers with an additional spend of £48 million.
• A total resident-related economic value of £164 million

More information on the South West Coast Path, including a route planner and key things to spot along the way is available on the South West Coast Path website.

Impact of tourism on the environment

Although visitors have a positive effect on our economy, the seasonal influx of people can also adversely affect our environment - including the use of natural resources, local environmental quality, waste and air quality.

The South West Ecological Footprint includes a resource flow and ecological footprint analysis of the South West tourism report (Stepping Forward, 2005). According to the analysis, in 2001:

Tourist accommodation consumed 4,512 GWh of energy

• This could be reduced to 2,707 GWh by adopting energy saving measures
• Energy use would increase to 9,723 GWh, if the season extends and tourist numbers increase without adoption of energy saving measures

Tourist accommodation generated an estimated 120,000 tonnes of waste, of which:

• 32,620 tonnes was recycled (27%)
• 45% went to landfill

Tourists travelled an estimated 9.8 billion kilometres to and from the region

• 91% was by car, and 4% by train for domestic visitors
• 76% was by air for overseas visitors.

Trends are available for the transport used by visitors in the South West between 2000 and 2003. This shows little change between 2000 and 2003, with the car being the principal mode of transport accounting for 80% of trips. The use of public transport (train and regular bus / coach) accounted for just 10% of all trips.

Transport used by visitors in the South West 2000 -2003

Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey (UKTS) (South West Tourism, 2005)

Air quality in the region is generally good, however where there are pockets of poor air quality these are generally caused by transport. With 80% of the 22.8 million trips made by UK residents to the South West made by car, visitors to the region can have a serious impact on local air quality, particularly around main roads and towns.

Tourists consumed an estimated 26,109 million litres of water in all types of accommodation, an average of 394 litres of water per guest bednight.

A number of scenarios have been developed to examine the implications of increasing tourism in the region. In addition, scenarios were also developed to illustrate best practice opportunities, and how they could be applied to the industry’s current activities, in order to reduce the ecological footprint associated with tourism. These scenarios can be viewed here.

More details about sustainable tourism are available here, including advice for tourism businesses and reducing your individual holiday impacts on the environment.

Coastal access for all?

Natural England’s proposals to open up the length of the English coastline for public access went out to public consultation on the 19th June 2007.

Defra’s consultation exercise seeks views on a range of possible approaches to improving coastal access – but makes clear that Government is particularly interested in receiving views on Natural England’s bold new approach.

Natural England is advising the Government to use new legislation to give us flexible new powers to align a suitable strip of access land around the English coast that people will be able to enjoy. They believe that new access rights should concentrate on sections of coast where access on foot is currently missing, defective or insecure. The work would create a clear access corridor of varying width around the coast, with clifftop walks complemented by ‘spreading room’ en route such as beaches, dunes, headlands and viewpoints.

Natural England is looking to achieve significant environmental improvement around the coast, building on the work to date of Environmental Stewardship and its predecessor schemes. They are particularly interested in rolling back the line of intensive agriculture from the cliff edge over time.”

Should Government decide following its consultation to proceed with the recommended way forward, Natural England envisages a ten-year implementation programme that would fully involve local authorities, farmers and landowners and other key local interests.

Take part in the consultation here.

Towards 2015 - shaping tomorrow's tourism

Towards 2015 is a strategy currently under development by South West Tourism which aims to ensure that predicted tourism growth in the region does not threaten the long-term stability of the industry itself:

This Strategy, produced by South West Tourism and the South West of England Regional Development Agency aims to help the South West to face the challenges of the coming decade and beyond. It will build on our existing strengths in order to build an edge over domestic and international tourism competitors.

Towards 2015 is not just a strategic framework; it will drive the creation of detailed annual and three year delivery plans – bringing leadership and direction to the development of a truly sustainable, valuable tourism industry for the South West. It is vital to stress that this is a strategy for the whole region, its industry and all those organisations that support this key economic driver.

By adopting this new strategic approach tourism will:

Protect the environment

Improve the quality of life of local people

Take advantage of the region’s existing strengths; and create a long-term and sustainable industry.

The region will also benefit financially. Experts estimate that the annual income from tourism could potentially increase by £1.2 billion.

Find out more about this strategy by visiting the Towards 2015 website.

What can you do to reduce your impact?

A guide to sustainable tourism, including how you can reduce your impact, is available here.

Our South West also has information and advice on sustainable tourism in the South West.