TOU0006

 

 

Written Evidence Submitted by the National Trust

9 September 2019

 

 

The National Trust is a charity founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. More than 120 years later, these values are still at the heart of everything we do. We look after special places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for ever, for everyone.

 

 

Introduction

 

  1. The National Trust was established to take care of the places that matter to people, and to make sure that they can be enjoyed by everyone, for ever. We look after coastline, forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, nature reserves, villages, historic houses, gardens, mills and pubs. We restore them, protect them and open them up to everyone. For the Trust, conservation has always gone hand-in-hand with public access. We welcome everyone to explore:
  2. Some of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions are in our care; in 2018/19 we had a record total of 26.9 million visitors to houses and gardens, and an estimated 200 million visits to coastal and countryside sites. The Trust also has Europe’s largest network of holiday cottages and gift shops, with nearly 450 holiday cottages available to book by the public throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our cross-cutting interest in heritage and historic sites as well as the natural environment gives us a unique perspective on tourism and its impacts and benefits to a wide range of communities and places.
  3. Tourism can deliver significant benefit to the public, both for those enjoying holidays and days out which enable them to relax, explore and play, and for those benefiting from the employment and economic activity that it generates. It can be particularly important for rural communities as an alternative or additional form of income, and we want to see rural communities celebrating and benefitting from their tourist assets: the special historic and natural features that attract people to visit.
  4. We are committed to playing our part to help restore and protect our natural environment, which includes making our own visitor business as sustainable as possible. We’ve already made progress in reducing our own energy use and have been rolling out our renewable energy programme, this year installing our 50th renewable energy scheme at Little Langdale.[1]
  5. This response addresses those of the Committee’s questions that we are best placed to answer based on our experience and expertise.

Key points
 

 

What can the Government do to support a sustainable inbound tourism industry in the UK?

 

  1. Beautiful landscapes, access to nature and wildlife, fresh air, historic features and green spaces are all tourism assets, and are all key contributors to creating distinctive and interesting places that people want to visit. We believe that people benefit significantly from accessing these places of natural beauty and historic interest, and want to see more people and new audiences enjoy them. The challenge is to help people to visit, live and work in these places by providing the infrastructure and investment to support tourism and allow communities to thrive, while also protecting and enhancing the natural and historic assets that are unique to local areas.
  2. A majority of our members and a substantial proportion of our paid visitors are UK-based. However, we do have a significant, and growing number of international visitors to our sites – particularly to those which are most well-known, including our World Heritage Sites such as the Giant’s Causeway, Fountains Abbey and the Lake District. Inbound visitors can cause particular pressures – including creating high concentrations of visitors at peak times and at these well-known “honeypot” sites. However, many of the challenges that the tourism sector in the UK faces in terms of increasing its sustainability are similar, regardless of the origin of the visitor. The following are areas where we feel Government could do more to improve the sustainability of tourism for all groups of visitors and the communities that host them. 

Public Transport

  1. Transport continues to be a highly significant challenge in terms of sustainability for the sector. Aviation is obviously a big contributor to carbon emissions, and there is significant work to be done to understand how to manage the growth of air travel for inbound visitors alongside the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions. However, greener options for travel even within the UK are also often limited. Alternatives to car travel are often inadequate or poorly integrated, costs of public transport are perceived to be high, and cycle and walking provision is often implemented in a piecemeal fashion, which creates limited incentive for visitors to switch to low carbon alternatives. As a result, visitor access to many key visitor attractions, particularly for rural locations (which includes the majority of our sites), is still dominated by car and coach travel, which not only have significant environmental impacts, but can also create difficulties for local communities in terms of congestion and noise. It also fundamentally limits accessibility for those who don’t have access to a car.
  2. Better public transport and easier transit between sites, particularly outside of major cities and towns, would play a key role in improving the overall sustainability of the visitor economy, and enable not only visitors to reduce their carbon impact, but also those travelling to work at these tourist sites. We would like to see widely accessible, multi-modal and integrated transport options that are clearly signposted and support not only tourists but the wider local economy.
  3. There are some examples of innovative public transport solutions being delivered through strategic investment and planning, and the National Trust has been involved in commissioning and implementing green or sustainable transport plans at a number of its sites, often in partnership with other local stakeholders. For example, we offer a Park and Ride service at Bushmills to the Giant’s Causeway in partnership with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Translink. The Lake District’s GoLakes Travel programme was a £6.9m sustainable transport programme was funded by Department of Transport through the Coalition Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and delivered in partnership by Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria Tourism.[3] The report on the programme’s achievements found that between 2010 -2015 over 50 miles of cycleway, five bus services (carrying over 20,000 people), and two new jetties on Windermere were created.[4] The jetties enabled use of boats to carry commuters across the Lakes, and innovative bike bus and bike boat services supported mixed forms of transport. Overall the programme led to a reduction in vehicle mileage in the GoLakes Travel area of 14.5% (2011 – 14), which equates to 4.8 million miles, and a 7.8% reduction in carbon emissions from visitor travel, a saving of 41,000 tonnes CO2.
  4. The Lakes have a higher concentration of visitors (approx. 18 million p.a.) than is typical in other areas, but some of the solutions used there (e.g. better use of cycleways and mixed approaches to transport) could be transferable. However, local transport planning in England has increasingly focused on developing and implementing sustainable urban transport, generally linked to growth in large urban areas and increased focus on city-based economies. The importance of creating integrated, sustainable transport options in rural areas too, where existing options and services are often much fewer, should not be overlooked. It’s also important that transport planning is developed and delivered with the engagement and support of the community. Services such as park and ride can bring benefits through reducing congestion and encouraging visitors to spend time and potentially spend money in locations that don’t currently benefit significantly from the draw of a local attraction (those who arrive at a site directly by car or coach don’t always go further afield than the site itself). However, this must be balanced against potential concerns about increases in numbers of large vehicles on the road, and the environmental impact of new infrastructure. It’s important therefore that plans should be developed consensually, to meet the needs of local communities as well as visitors.
  5. More broadly there is a need to invest in infrastructure for the future that will enable visitors to travel around the UK in the context of delivery of the Government’s ambition to meet its net zero target and ban the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles by 2040. That includes provision of convenient charging points to encourage uptake of electric vehicles, as well as improvements to access infrastructure such as paths and cycle tracks to make them visible and easy to use, and to keep them well maintained and reliable. There is a role for those running attractions to play in delivering this – the Trust is considering options for expanding the provision of charging points at its places, for example. However, there is also potential for tourists themselves to help fund investment in green transport infrastructure directly through tourist levies or accommodation taxes or similar, which could create a revenue scheme for this purpose. We would like to see the Government explore these funding options.

Marketing

  1. The way that tourism destinations and transport links are marketed and communicated to visitors also has a role to play. There is evidence of increasing interest in sustainable travel options among travellers, but knowing what the options are can be a barrier.[5] Alongside improved provision, effective marketing of greener transport options could be one way of reducing emissions from tourist travel within the UK. Initiatives such as greenways would not only promote healthier modes of transport, but they can themselves become a tourist attraction - such as the Great Western Greenway on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast, and other long-distance walking and cycling routes around the UK.
  2. The Trust are partners in the Great West Way project, which aims to create a long-distance touring route from London to Bristol. This project is being led by Visit Wiltshire, and is linking up transport providers, tourist and visitor attractions, environmental and public sector organisations, to help visitors explore the west of England. It offers suggested itineraries and helps signpost not only a wide range of a things to see, do and visit along the route, but ways to travel around and between locations – on public transport, and also by foot or cycle path.  As part of the project GWR are offering a special Great Western Way Discover ticket which includes unlimited off-peak train travel from London Paddington/Waterloo along the route to Bristol Temple Meads via Reading and or Basingstoke routes with options to branch off towards Oxford and Kemble. It also includes unlimited travel on the bus services along the route. Seven National Trust properties are on the route, with a further eight within easy reach, and this is a great way to help introduce them to new visitors who might not otherwise have come across them. This sort of approach could potentially be applied to other regions of the UK, but the coordination and delivery of such a joint marketing strategy does require dedicated resource to achieve – whether that be through DMOs or LEPs. 
  3. There is also role for Government to help local sites manage the challenge of high concentrations of inbound visitors at peak times and key sites through marketing and information aimed at overseas consumers and tour operators that encourages a smoother distribution of visitors throughout the year, not just in the core summer months, but into the spring and autumn.
  4. Existing international standards for environmental management such as ISO14001 are important tools for organisations seeking to ensure their own operational sustainability. However, there is currently a lack of a single trusted accreditation scheme in the UK with a recognisable brand to help travellers make positive choices. In principle the National Trust would support the establishment of a single UK-wide and Government-backed accreditation scheme, based on existing international standards, and we would be willing to engage with Government and others in the sector on design and implementation. Such an approach could perhaps draw on experience of countries such as Norway, which have adopted similar schemes.

Strategic governance and funding

  1. Achieving long term sustainability for the tourism sector requires strategy and coordination. Individual elements such as transport infrastructure, marketing, community engagement and environmental protection cannot be treated as separate issues that can be addressed independently; these elements all need to work together in a local area to create a coherent and sustainable tourist offer. We would like to see locally-led strategies for sustainable tourism that focus on place, with an understanding of the interaction between landscape, environment, economic activity and local communities. National and local governments need to work with other public bodies and funders (including Local Enterprise Partnerships), the tourism sector and local communities to drive a collaborative and holistic approach to creating these strategies. There may be a range of ways to achieve this strategic approach in practice, perhaps making use of a range of sources of funding or income to support delivery. We see a need to test and trial methods involving a range of stakeholders, perhaps focusing on regions or locations with high levels of tourism, such as Cornwall or the Lake District. Existing activity and partnerships in these areas could be built on, to create a strategic framework for other regions to learn from and make use of. 
  2. In the context of leaving the UK and access to EU funds such as LEADER, we are concerned that some communities will lose access to vital sources of funding to support rural tourism, farm diversification, and culture and heritage. As the likely administer of the proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will have a key future role in driving local growth and development. They must also take a lead in promoting sustainability through investment, supporting delivery of the UK’s net zero emissions target, and in both climate mitigation and adaption. Local Industrial Strategies should set out how investment in sectors such as tourism will be used to support these aims.


How should the UK tourism industry balance the need to encourage tourism whilst protecting fragile environments?
 

  1. The health and beauty of the natural environment, including its biodiversity, are key parts of the UK’s tourism offer. Natural England estimates 79 million day trips are made each year to the English countryside and coast for wildlife viewing.[6] Protecting, enhancing and building more natural capital, restoring the natural and historic environment, and increasing access to the countryside for everyone can all support thriving prosperous communities, and the tourism sector can be both a beneficiary and contributor to this ambition.
  2. Tourism growth has the potential to place additional pressure on the natural and built environment, and it is therefore important that appropriate local planning policies are put in place to protect these important tourism assets. Efforts to grow and expand the UK’s tourism offer must be balanced against the need to protect the wildlife and landscapes that actually draw people to visit the UK countryside. Increased access and improved infrastructure to support tourism must also support the protection of those key natural and historic assets. Development which undermines the very natural or historic features which attract visitors will have a counterproductive impact in the long term.
  3. The National Trust has experienced a significant increase in visitor numbers over recent years, with 26.9 million visitors to houses and gardens in 2018/19 compared to 16.8 million in 2010/11. Our members and visitors directly help to support our conservation work, and so this increase represents an increase in resource available to us to undertake work to our places, including work to restore and enhance the natural environment (through, for example our aim to create 25,000 hectares of new habitats by 2025). However, we are extremely conscious that the popularity of some sites does create the risk of negative environmental impacts. As a conservation charity it is our responsibility to look after these places and ensure that they are accessible for future generations, as well as those visiting right now.
  4. The growth of visitors to Northern Ireland, for example, has impacted some of the National Trust’s places, such as erosion on the island at Carrick-a-Rede. In response to the challenges faced at our busiest sites we have taken a number of actions such as introducing timed ticketing at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and we have commissioned a large-scale project to examine how we can manage our busiest sites such as the Giant’s Causeway sustainably into the future. This project is split into four areas of focus examining physical spaces, the environment and ecology, visitor experience and how we can work with local communities. Once information has been gathered from these areas of focus a multi-disciplinary team will examine the data and make recommendations as to how the National Trust should manage its sites sustainably in the context of anticipated future growth.
  5. It is possible for recreation activities by visitors to contribute positively to the environment where combined with a sensitivity to nature. The National Trust is part of the Eastern Moors Partnership (with RSPB) that manages the Eastern Moors and Burbage Valley area of the Peak District. The Partnership has been working with the Peak District National Park Authority and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) to promote the conservation of the rare ring ouzel in a project that is a great example of recreation and conservation working together for the benefit of both. The ring ouzel, or mountain blackbird, is a ‘red’ listed bird species meaning it is of the highest conservation priority. Beautiful and distinctive but never a common bird, its range in Britain has reduced by over 50% in the last 50 years.
  6. The grit stone edges of Stanage, Burbage and the Eastern Moors are a stronghold for ring ouzels, but also for walking and some of the most popular climbing crags in the UK. Ring ouzel nests are vulnerable to disturbance if people get too close, which can lead to adult birds abandoning nests or higher risk of predation or starvation of the young. However, raising awareness of ring ouzel conservation, and engaging with those who use these sites for recreational purposes has had positive results. On Stanage Edge the BMC have been an integral part of ensuring ring ouzel nests are not disturbed during the breeding season, through helping to identify the locations of nests, and adopting the use of voluntary access restrictions with on-site signage to help people avoid them. Survey work conducted in 2016 suggests that this collaboration is having a positive impact on the breeding success of ring ouzels in the area, and numbers of breeding pairs had increased from 18 in 2002 to 26 in 2016.


How well is the UK industry managing the impact of tourism in line with its obligations under the sustainable development goals, at home and abroad?

 

  1. We believe there is a lack of data and agreed indicators against which to assess the success of the tourism sector in the UK in terms of its sustainability and wider contribution to the UK’s SDG commitments. The tourism sector lacks robust data and analysis about how it will be impacted by climate change, and potential changes to visitor behaviour and impacts on physical infrastructure. It also needs to better understand its role in supporting the Government’s net zero emissions goal - and seek to put in place appropriate mitigations and adaptations as soon as possible. Data is therefore clearly an area in which improvement is needed, and will require coordinated effort across the sector to work with academic and other partners to gather and analyse the needed information. A model to consider is that of Barcelona’s Tourism Observatory.[7] There is a potential clear role for Visit Britain to play in facilitating this effort alongside local and regional DMOs, which would also help it assess the success and contribution of tourism in the UK in a more holistic way, beyond narrow economic measures alone.
  2. We suggest that sector-wide environmental sustainability indicators should be agreed and adopted. This could include the following:


How can the Government reach its net zero emissions targets through influencing sustainable travel patterns? Is there a role for offsets in sustainable tourism?

 

  1. Carbon offsetting or credits are an emissions reduction option that should be used with caution and within strict parameters. In order to achieve net zero emissions by mid-century, in the UK and globally, emissions will need to be reduced in absolute terms, rather than offset. Land-based emissions reductions are important - but for removing carbon that is already in the atmosphere rather than allowing some parts of the economy to continue to pollute. Both absolute cuts and land based carbon sequestration. Offsets risk encouraging delays in action to cut emissions in gross (rather than net) terms. 
  2. The Committee on Climate Change has advised that offsets may play a role in some of the hardest to decarbonise sectors that also play an important role in tourism - such as aviation. However, it has also been clear that for aviation offsets alone will not be enough. The Government also needs to put in place policies to limit the growth in demand for flights. Without this, aviation will be incompatible with the UK’s new 2050 net zero target. 
  3. Restoring and protecting nature should nonetheless be strongly supported as crucial ways of locking away emissions, but this should be additional to action to cut emissions across the economy. New or restored areas for nature and wildlife could also prove crucial parts of the UK’s ongoing domestic and international tourism offer in the future. 

 

 

 

Georgina Holmes-Skelton

Head of Government Affairs

 

September 2019

 

 

 

 

 

             

2

 

[1] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tarn-hows-and-coniston/features/our-50th-renewable-energy-scheme-goes-live-in-little-langdale

[2]               UNWTO (2019) International Tourism Results 2018 and Outlook 2019

[3] http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/factstourism/sustainable-tourism/sustainable-tourism-initatives. More generally, the LSTF projects provided strong value for money with a benefit cost ratio around 5/6:1. See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/738264/evaluation-and-synthesis-of-lstf.pdf

[4] http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/954863/GoLakes-Travel-and-See-More-Headline-achievements-pdf.pdf

[5] Booking.com’s annual sustainable travel report in 2019 found that 72% of travellers said that it was important to make sustainable travel choices, but 37% reported that they did not know how to make their travel more sustainable. https://globalnews.booking.com/bookingcom-reveals-key-findings-from-its-2019-sustainable-travel-report/

[6] Natural England (2012) Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Heritage

[7]               https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/turisme/en/noticia/greater-knowledge-of-tourism-to-make-it-more-sustainable_527497