Pubs to reap rewards from international walking trails campaign

Seven ‘Great Walks of England’ are set to be showcased in a new international campaign worth more than £1.2m.

The campaign is being funded off the back of a successful bid from tourist board Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire for £1m from Visit England’s Discover England Fund – the total value of which is £40m – as well as £200,000 funding from the private sector.

The British Beer & Pub Association and Stay in a Pub/Cask Marque are working in partnership with the board behind the bid to help support the scheme. They’re working to create challenging yet comfortable experiences by combining the best of Britain’s coastal and rural walks with cosy pubs, quality food and drink, and the nation’s best accommodation.

Vital role in tourism

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds commented: “We are delighted to be working with this initiative, and it is great to see it recognising the vital role pubs play in rural tourism in Britain. There are hundreds of great pubs on Britain’s walking trails with many now also offering fantastic accommodation. This campaign will really bring this to the attention of overseas tourist markets.”

Paul Nunny of Stay in a Pub, added: “According to Visit England one of the top three ‘must dos’ listed by inbound tourists is to visit an English Pub. Using this funding from Visit England to promote pubs and pub accommodation is an open invitation they are likely to accept.

“On the new website promoting the Great National Walks we will link to the Stay In A Pub website so tourists can book accommodation online. Already 15% of enquiries on the website are from abroad.  Cask Marque will also create ale trails on each walk, building on the success of the World’s Biggest Ale Trail which now has 30,000 followers. This campaign will be a big win for the industry.”