Cumbria Tourism marks its 50th anniversary this year and, in honour of the occasion, we’re looking back on tourism in the county.
From the designation of Hadrian’s Wall and the English Lake District as UNESCO World Heritage Sites to the opening of the C2C cycling route and a long-running campaign to keep the Carlisle-Settle railway open, Cumbria’s tourism industry has seen some major milestones over the past 50 years.
To mark its anniversary year, Cumbria Tourism is using 2024 as a catalyst to celebrate the industry’s achievements and successes over the past five decades, as well as focusing on exploring new opportunities and solutions to meet the trends and challenges of driving forward a sustainable visitor destination for the benefit of all.
A key initiative by the organisation is the annual Cumbria Tourism Awards, and our main picture, from 2016, shows representatives from The Wheatsheaf Inn, in Brigsteer, who won Tourism Pub of the Year.
Above is another image from the same ceremony, with Nigel Wilkinson of Windermere Lake Cruises having just received the Bernard Gooch Award.
In 2017, The Malabar won Bed and Breakfast of the Year. Pictured are proud owners Graham and Fiona Lappin with sponsor Bob Bishopp.
Away from the awards, the 1st Wetheral Brownies became tourists themselves when they embarked on their Scotland The Brave trip. They are shown on their way to Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura.
Carol Donnelly from Open Book Visitor Guiding smiles outside the old courts at the Citadel in Carlisle, having been showing tourists around the area for more than 30 years.
The Tourist Information Centre in Glenridding was among the casualties of Storm Desmond in 2015 and looks a sorry state in our picture.
On a more positive note, the Solway Aviation Museum at Carlisle Airport opened its doors to the public for the 2016 tourist season. Pictured are Alan Glover, left, and John Wales, admiring the model aircraft. Also Jamie Potter at the controls of the Avro Vulcan flight simulator with his sons Tom, three, and Toby, four, right.
Our final picture shows Laura Thompson from the Tourist Information Centre in Carlisle with bottles of beer, brewed by The Carlisle Brewing Company, that they had started selling.
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