Support for local tourism businesses

Carlisle’s main attractions and its stunning scenery is being showcased in a new series of web clips specially produced to help local tourism providers up grade their websites.

Spearheaded by Carlisle City Council as part of a range of Carlisle Renaissance business support schemes, the development of the web clips has been overseen by CREA (Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency). Funding has come from the City Council and the North West Development Agency.

Areas such as the Solway, Hadrian’s Wall, the Eden Valley and Carlisle’s historic city centre are shown within the 19 minute film and include interviews will local experts. These include:

• Carlisle’s historic quarter - presented by Peter Shaw, a local expert and guide of the city.
• Borderlands - presented by David Role, a cycling enthusiast who had has ridden and raced extensively throughout the area.
• Eden Valley - presented by James Carr, expert fisherman and trustee of the Eden Rivers Trust.
• Hadrian's Wall - presented by Jeff Barnett, expert on the wall and all things Roman.
• Solway Coast - Brian Irving, Manager of the Solway Coast AONB and wildlife photographer.

Local accommodation providers, including local B&B owners will be given the opportunity to use the clips within their own websites, to provide the web-browser the opportunity to see what the Carlisle area has on offer.

A seminar promoting the use of the DVD will be held on Monday, 28 January at Carlisle Racecourse. Forty-eight tourism businesses have signed up to attend, so far.

Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economic Development and Enterprise said:

"Through Carlisle Renaissance we are delivering projects on the ground that are helping people into employment, set up new businesses and provide support to existing businesses. The web clips are an example of this work and will provide benefits for local tourism providers.

"In this digital age websites are an important marketing tool. The audience is worldwide and the potential for selling the city and its region is enormous. We hope local tourism providers take up the opportunity to get involved. "