Full STEAM ahead for tourism in High Peak

Tourism contributed almost £235 million to the High Peak's economy and supported almost 3,400 jobs in 2015 according to the latest figures.

STEAM data, which assesses the economic impact of tourism and measures visitor numbers, visitor days and the number of jobs the tourism industry supports, shows increases in every area.

The figures show that since 2014:

• the economic impact of tourism has risen by 4.5% to £234.52m
• Visitor numbers are up to 4.467m - an increase of almost 4%
• Visitor days totalled 5.4m - up 3.8%
• Employment supported by tourism had increased by 1.6% to 3,389 jobs

The data also shows a rise in the number of people coming to the area 'off-season' - visitor numbers for February were up 56% with November showing an increase of 47% between 2009 and 2015.

Councillor Tony Kemp, Executive Councillor for Regeneration and Tourism at High Peak Borough Council, said: "These are excellent figures for the High Peak which demonstrate that our approach to heritage-led regeneration and tourism is the right one and that it is delivering strong results for local jobs and the economy.

"It's particularly heartening to see the increase in off-peak visitors proving that the attractions of this beautiful area of the country have year-round appeal and aren't limited to the traditional holiday periods.

"That can only be good news for the local tourism and hospitality sectors and shows what we have long known - the High Peak really does have it all from stunning countryside and landscapes to thriving towns and villages full of character and heritage supported by a diverse and varied programme of cultural events and festivals. It's not hard to see why an ever-growing number of people feel the same!"