As stated above, there are over forty thousand people living and working within the National Park. However, the twelve million people who visit the Lake District each year are swamping this population. Due to this, the natural beauty is being slowly ruined. Things such as: footpath erosion, littering, overcrowding, increased traffic/ pollution and noise limits are damaging the environment. Many of the properties bought are second homes to people, these people are not locals and generally don’t work within the area and therefore, are not really bringing in a sufficient amount of money in. As properties are in demand, house prices are drastically increasing. Therefore, young people/ couples and first time buyers who actually want to settle down and work in the area cannot afford to. It is important to keep local people happy, and many want visitor numbers to be controlled.
Farmers are a good example. Nearly ninety percent of tourists arrive by car, causing traffic, congestion and pollution. This affects the farmers as the pollution damages their crops, slows down their farm vehicles and so, generally wastes their time and efforts. The visitors damage the farmers land in several ways, such as: climbing over the stone walls and wrecking them, trespassing on their land and walking over crops and footpath erosion- leaving ugly scars in the hillsides. Also, they often drop litter, which contaminates land and can poison cattle if they eat it. Stealing in vandalising property is just one other way in which damaging farmers land can lead to losing money, and gaining stress. Tourists often feed the cattle; this can lead to the cattle becoming ill, or in extreme can even result in death. Visitors on the land often distress the cattle; this can lead to the cattle not producing a sufficient amount of milk and the farmers losing money. Farmers are having a huge problem with cattle catching diseases a good example of this, was the foot and mouth dilemma. Often, tourists bring diseases from another area, which affect the cattle, and/ or can be spread around the area. Due to this, animals are likely to die and a majority of the cattle have to be slaughtered. As you can imagine, this is most devastating for the farmers as they lose livestock and a lot of money.
Despite the above reasons to limit the amount of visitors, we must consider and appreciate the fact that tourism does have certain positive inputs. For instance, when tourists visit, they often need places to eat/ sleep etc. They often buy little souvenirs and generally just spend money and make the National Park richer. On average day visitors spend ten pounds eighty per day. Staying visitors spend a great thirty- three pounds eighty two per day. Also, as of tourists, more catering companies, hotels, shops etc, are opened, and so, more jobs are available for the locals. Admittedly, many of these jobs are part time and this can mean average yearly incomes are low. However thirty- three and a half percent (compared to the six percent nationally) of residents work in the retailing, transport or catering companies. Twenty- nine percent of residents work in the service industry. Therefore, we can see that tourism is vital to the residents of the National Lake District. As stated above, how local people feel about the situation is very important. Some people fee; it’s not at all necessary to limit visitors.
The property developers are a good example of this. As mentioned before, twelve million people visit the Lake District every year. All these people need places to stay. Many of them decide they want a second home. It’s easier for them to do so as they don’t have the hassle of booking in to different hotels and it’s more convenient for the property developers as they can develop areas of the district where people can buy and rent properties. Therefore, they can make money. At the moment just under one and a half percent of the land is developed, so it wont cause any harm to the environment if you develop the land a bit further. If the developers are able to provide good quality homes and hotels for the visitors there will be plenty of places to dine and go to when the weather is bad. More jobs will be available too, (builders and trade workers will be needed). By restricting the amount of visitors to the Lake District, many local companies will lose money, local hotels will suffer and properties will be deserted. The whole local economy will suffer. The developers believe that local settlements add character to the area and that villages need to expand in order to survive. If more people come to the area, there will be a stronger local culture and people from around the world may want to buy properties here. Therefore the area makes more money.
Other local people are sceptical and cannot decide on whether the National Park should control visitor numbers. The Lake District National Park Authority are just one of the groups. Although the authority is there to preserve, protect and enhance the natural beauty, it also want to ensure that the people, both visitors and locals are given the best opportunities to enjoy and understand all about the special qualities of the Park. They appreciate the fact that tourists do bring in money to the area, and should be able to view the beautiful scenery, yet recognise the fact that the area is slowly deteriorating and getting spoiled.
Green peace are an organisation who support organic goods and who want to find other alternatives rather than using chemicals on crops etc. although tourism doesn’t directly affect them, they can appreciate and agree with the fact the natural beauty should be preserved and protected. Although, they do feel others should witness and experience the beauty and tranquillity. Yet, like the National Park, they are unsure and have not come to a conclusion.
Ramblers are the last of the groups. Again they are not decided on a decision. They enjoy and visit the area, for their hiking as it’s supposed to be peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. Yet, now some feel it is getting over crowded, and is ruining their trips. So they think visitors should be controlled. Others, enjoy hiking as they like to take of in the car and decide where there going on the spur of the moment, and feel if visitors were limited they would be restricted to when they could go and it would be too much hassle. The ramblers do want the natural beauty to be preserved, yet do still want to be able to visit when they desire.
I think that the number of visitors to the National Park should not be limited. Yet, I do feel it should be managed in a more appropriate way. It is clear that tourists are over crowding and causing pollution, littering, damaging areas and what not. However, although the area should not completely rely on tourism as explained above, I do think that is necessary and very important for the Lake District National Park to have the tourists, after all they do bring a lot of money and lead to making more jobs available. Everyone should have the chance and opportunity to experience the view and tranquillity of the area. There needs to be some sort of system where visitor numbers can be monitored to ensure that the park would not be put under so much pressure that the overall beauty is destroyed. I’m sure it could be done.
