The problem of ‘over-tourism’ is an increasing blight which affects many of the world’s most popular visitor destinations. The pressures and impacts created by mass tourism pose significant and unsustainable risks to the fabric and character of these places and their local communities.

The risk is that tourism is damaging and denuding the very places that people want to come to enjoy.  Many of the costs of dealing with the impacts are felt, or fall, on those who receive little or no income for doing so like farmers, landowners and local communities, including significant impacts on the natural environment, wildlife and wild places.   

The study by Friends of the Lake District, Who Pays for the Lake District, highlights some of the impacts and costs of mass tourism in the Lake District National Park.  There is an urgent need to invest in the crumbling and worn out infrastructure of the National Park: not only to remedy some of the direct impacts but also to restore the very fabric of its special qualities. 

One of the key issues is how do we find the funds and resources needed to address the impacts and costs of mass tourism.  It only seems fair and reasonable for the tourism industry to help – and we know that the overwhelming majority of visitors wish to contribute and can afford to do so.  The report identifies some of the options for how a visitor payback – or levy scheme could operate. 

We strongly support the principle of a new approach to raise new sources of revenue in a fair way which can raise funds to invest in the special qualities of the Lake District.  We believe that it is vital for the new Government to recognise the issue and should set up a new framework and provide the powers for a new levy scheme which is underpinned by legislation. 

A level-playing field is important and it should apply equally and fairly across the tourism sector. It must come with transparent governance arrangements which ensure the funds are invested in meeting the priorities of local communities and additional so they’re not just used to back-fill the budgets of the National Park Authority or local authority budgets.

The restoration of wildlife and wild places is one of the urgent priorities that a visitor contribution scheme could help fund.

Stephen Trotter, Chief Executive of Cumbria Wildlife Trust said:

“I welcome this report and urge the Government, local authorities and local tourism businesses to act on its findings.  After decades of fudging the issue, now is the time to grasp the issues.

"The case for introducing a meaningful visitor levy or payback scheme is overwhelming in the Lake District in my view – it’s a no brainer. 

"Mass tourism is damaging the special place that visitors are coming to experience and enjoy - and there’s a market failure to meet the scale of the costs and impacts that local people and the natural environment are suffering.  The situation is simply not sustainable and solutions are urgently needed. 

"Some of the more ethical tourism businesses already make voluntary contributions to look after the Lakes, and this is welcome and appreciated.  However, the scale of funding isn’t sufficient to meet the costs and a number of businesses make no contribution at all.  There is a market failure of the tourism sector to pick up the bills and whilst the tax payer does what it can, there is a significant unmet need of many millions of pounds per year.

"A visitor levy would help to raise new funds to look after the Lakes better – and I believe the vast majority of visitors would happily and willingly wish to contribute. It’s not about impacts of individual visitors – it’s the sheer numbers and just a small individual payment  that visitors will barely notice  in comparison with other costs, can quickly add up to make a huge difference.   

"I know when I visit places abroad as a tourist, the opportunity to pay a local visitor tax makes me feel good because I’m helping do good things in that place.  If it works in virtually every other tourist hot spot in the world, why wouldn’t it work well here either?”