Cumbria Tourism will be marking its 50th anniversary with a series of special events reflecting on tourism past, present and future this year. 

The original ‘Cumbria Tourist Board’ was created in 1974, later being renamed as Cumbria Tourism in 2006.

The wider visitor economy has also seen some major milestones over the past 50 years, including the designation of both Hadrian’s Wall and the English Lake District as UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the opening of the C2C route linking the West Coast with the North East; and a high-profile public campaign to ensure the historic Carlisle to Settle railway line remained open.

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, said: “Throughout 2024, we will be reflecting on achievements from Cumbria’s world-class tourism industry from the past five decades.

“We’ll be looking forward too - exploring new innovations, new opportunities and new solutions to meet the trends and challenges of driving forward a sustainable visitor destination in the 21st century for the benefit of all.”

Later in January, Cumbria Tourism will be teaming up with Cumbria Community Foundation to launch a new 50th Anniversary charitable fund.

March will also be an important month. Cumbria Tourism’s Spring Members’ Meeting on March 21 will be a focal point during English Tourism Week 2024, including the launch of Cumbria’s new Destination Management Plan (DMP), as well as Cumbria Tourism’s new look visitor marketing campaign.

Entries for the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2024 will open soon, with an extra special awards event taking place in July.

Other summer highlights will be the ‘Fells for All’ event promoting shared visitor experiences, along with the 40th anniversary of Lakeland Book of the Year.

In the autumn, all eyes will be on the future, as Cumbria Tourism holds a high-profile ‘Innovation and Future Trends in Tourism Conference’ on November 21 at Low Wood Bay.

Sponsored by English Lakes Hotels, the event will focus on cutting-edge trends and technologies to inspire tourism businesses for the future. There will be inspiring expert speakers, with some first-hand demonstrations of the innovations set to transform the tourism and hospitality industry in the coming years.

In the meantime, tourism and hospitality operators can get involved with the 50th anniversary celebrations in a number of ways.

For instance, Cumbria Tourism is on the lookout for homegrown makers and producers to develop special anniversary-themed products. Local businesses can discuss their idea by getting in touch via: campaigns@cumbriatourism.org.

The organisation is also keen to hear from tourism-related businesses with historic video footage, photos or marketing materials, particularly from the 1970s and 1980s, to help showcase some of the key events from the past 50 years.