Sustainable tourism statement

The Yorkshire Dales is a fantastic blend of spectacular landscapes, outstanding cultural heritage, outdoor activities and endless ways to enjoy a holiday or a great day out.

Richmondshire lies within the northern part of the Village

Yorkshire Dales and encompasses a delightful array of contrasting valleys and breathtaking scenery. The district in not only home to a large part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it also has historic market towns, traditional villages and unusual attractions.

Every year visitors are drawn to the unique splendours of our Dale's landscape. The contrasting silver grey limestone, heather-clad moors, ancient broad-leaved woodlands and lush green meadows not only support local tourism and non-tourism related businesses and agriculture, but also provide a home for a wide variety of flora and fauna. For more information about Richmondshire in the Yorkshire Dales visit the Yorkshire Dales website.

Richmondshire District Council recognises the important contribution that tourism makes to the local economy and the strength of working in partnership using the Yorkshire Dales brand to attract visitors to the area. Richmondshire District Council has worked with Yorkshire Dales Joint Promotions Initiative public sector partners to successfully promote the district nationally and internationally between 1996 and 2006.

A fundamental review of tourism delivery initiated by Yorkshire Forward - Regional Development Agency (RDA), resulted in the formation of the Yorkshire Dales & Harrogate Toursim Partneship (YDHTP) in 2006. This newly formed public/private sector partnership has been formed to boost sustainable tourism in the Yorkshire Dales. As one of six similar Yorkshire sub-regional partnerships, the YDHTP's roles and responsibilities cover:

business engagement,
product development
visitor information
visitor management
marketing
research & intelligence

The YDHTP executive board is comprised of private and public sector representatives and is supported by an operational working group and delivery hub. The operational working group includes tourism officers from Craven, Richmondshire, South Lakeland, Eden and Hambleton, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Harrogate Borough Council and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The delivery hub based in Settle Town Hall is comprised of a coordinator, a researcher and an administration officer.

All partners are committed to the principles of sustainable tourism development, which has been defined as maximising the economic contribution of tourism and tourist activities to increase revenue and jobs, whilst finding ways to reduce tourism's social impacts on local people and conserving the environment upon which our businesses, and therefore our communities, depend now and for future generations.

VISITOR CONTACT INFORMATION:

If you would like an official holiday guide or would like to know more about where to stay, what you can see or what there is to do in Richmondshire you can:

Visit our Yorkshire Dales tourism website

Contact one of our Information Centres direct as follows:

Richmond Tourist Information Centre (TIC)

tel: 01748 828742

e-mail: RichmondTIC@Richmondshire.gov.uk

Leyburn Tourist Information Centre (TIC)

tel: 01748 828745

e-mail: LeyburnTIC@Richmondshire.gov.uk

If you are setting up a tourism business or would like more information about developing and promoting an existing business you can visit our Yorkshire Dales industry pages.

If you would like to speak with someone about general partnership activity or information, why not contact our central Yorkshire Dales Tourism Office:

tel: 01729 825470

e-mail: rgraham@cravendc.gov.uk,

postal address: Town Hall, Cheapside, Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9EJ.

DALES EVENT ORGANISER INFORMATION:

Richmondshire would like to help you promote your event for FREE of charge. We offer a range of ways to promote events in Richmondshire and throughout the rest of the Yorkshire Dales to both residents and visitors such as via:

Our Dales website

'The Visitor' – a free newspaper published by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (circulation: 200,000) which is distributed locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Please note that only event entry forms received before 31st October of each year can be included.

You can also contact specific Information Centres direct if you have posters or leaflets you would like displayed.

Please ensure that you do not miss these FREE promotional opportunities by completing and returning the relevant application form to Events Listing, External Affairs Department, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Colvend, Hebden Road, Grassington, North Yorkshire BD23 5LB.

To apply to be listed on the website or in the Visitor, please complete and submit one event listing form for each individual event, as only information supplied on official forms can be accepted. Blank forms can be photocopied or an electronic copy e-mailed.
Please also use the map of the area provided in order to state the grid reference number on the form to confirm each events location. For example, an event in Hawes would have the grid reference D3.

If you have any questions or need assistance in completing the form, please contact Events Listing, External Affairs, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority on telephone 0870 1 666 333 or email:

eventslisting@yorkshiredales.org.uk

Please note: Event entries are welcome all year round, whether large or small, but those received after the 31st October deadline can only be promoted via the website and network of 24hr touch-screen visitor information points.

RESIDENTS & VISITORS seeking events taking place throughout the Yorkshire Dales:

All year round there is a dazzling array of festivals, galas, shows, open air markets, farmers markets and local village events that are just too numerous to mention here!

If you would like a listing of events throughout the Yorkshire Dales, please pick up or request a copy of The Visitor Newspaper from one of our Information Centres where staff can also print off a monthly list of events. Alternatively you could visit the events pages of our website.

For a list of dates and venues for our Dales' Farmers Markets, contact the Northern Dales Farmers Markets on telephone 01748 884965 or 01748 884414

TOURISM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION INFORMATION:

Not only do we produce and distribute and annual Yorkshire Dales Official Holiday Guide throughout the UK TIC network, we also produce a 'Discover the Yorkshire Dales' mini guide, containing information on heritage, action, events and fun activities. We also attend a variety of high profile events throughout the year, participate in marketing, PR and advertising campaigns.

Every year the Dales receives over 9 million visitors who not only stay in our quality accommodation, they also spend money at our shops, restaurants, tearooms, cafes, pubs and attractions. If you would like to attract more visitors to your business and would like to find out about marketing opportunities, please contact the Yorkshire Dales Tourism team, Town Hall, Cheapside, Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9EJ or telephone 01729 825470 or email showsen@cravendc.gov.uk

Alternatively, why not visit our industry pages . The site contains a wide variety of information on subjects including:

· Access for all

· Branding

· Donate to the Dales

· Events

· Film/TV tourism

· Marketing - Hot Tips

· New & the latest research

· Quality Assurance

· Sustainable Businesses

· Tourism Structures

· Visitor Information Exchange