- Deneholme Country House Hotel and Outdoor Centre in Allendale
- Allendale Chimney © NPAP
- Above Allenheads
The first North Pennines Tourism Seminar was held in Allendale on Monday 17 November. The theme was the future of tourism in the AONB.
Over 70 people from tourism businesses, destination managament organisations, tourism networks, guides, local authorities, and conservation organisations came together to look to the future of tourism in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and UNESCO Global Geopark.
Summary
A summary of the day is available
Presentations
As well as hearing from a diverse range of external speakers delegates at the seminar heard about what people living and working in the North Pennines think about tourism. Over 400 responses were received when the AONB Partnership asked people what their views were.
Key results were highlighted, a full report was launched (Local views on tourism: Reporting on the 2014 consultation in the North Pennines) and delegates were able to contribute ideas on ways forward for tourism in the AONB.
Venue
The seminar was hosted by BECKs Training Ltd at their venue – Deneholme Country House (The Dene, Allendale, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 9PX).
Speakers
Presentations at the seminar were as follows:
- Linda Beck – BECKs Training – ‘Welcome to Deneholme Country House’
- Richard Hammond – Founder and Chief Executive, Greentraveller – ‘Greentraveller’s Guide to the North Pennines – next steps’
- Hetty Byrne – Sustainable Tourism Officer, Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – ‘What does success look like? A perspective from the Forest of Bowland’
- Martin Kitching – Director & Senior Guide, Northern Experience Wildlife Tours – ‘Nature watching in the North Pennines’
- Justin Grammer – Director, PS Business Matters – ‘Google+: What’s it all about and why should tourism businesses be bothered’
- Richard Darn – Stargazer and training leader, Animating Dark Skies Project – ‘Fortune in the Stars – Dark Sky tourism in the North Pennines’
- Andy Lees – Allen Valleys Landscape Partnership Scheme Programme Manager, North Pennines AONB Partnership – ‘Visiting the Allen Valleys – future ambitions, early experiences’
- Shane Harris – Tourism & Communications Manager, North Pennines AONB Partnership – ‘Local views on tourism’
Sponsors
The seminar was organised by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and was supported by: the North East Rural Growth Network Business Support Programme; Greentraveller; and BECKs Training Ltd – the company behind Deneholme Country House in Allendale, Northumberland.