At this point the role of Downland tourism can be seen as one of a new industry replacing the traditional industry of the Downs in a manner and style that accords with the general wishes of the populace. In this respect we are fortunate in that if tourism were not waiting in the wings we might well be hard pressed to find such an accommodating alternative to food production for the landscape. In Britain, tourism already employs 1.5 million people, it provides jobs for 6 percent of the labour force and generates 3.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. It attracted 7 percent of consumer spending in 1990 and accounts for 4.4 percent of foreign earnings.[40]  On a world wide basis it is the world's largest industry and destined to grow substantially in the future as increasing prosperity enables more nations to embark on travel for leisure. In this context the Downland becomes an important resource for not only UK visitors but visitors from abroad also.

 

In the South East there are two major factors that will jeopardise the economic role which tourism has to play. The first is the intransigence identified in the Malvern Hills case study. A reluctance to accommodate and orchestrate tourism as an economic generator will manifest itself from those whose wealth is assured through historic processes, many of whom will already be living and enjoying the Downland as an extension of their own properties.

 

The second factor is the failure to orchestrate tourism in accordance with the tripartite balance necessary between the environment, conservation and tourism. Tourism on the Downland will only work as an economic generator if the Downland remains as an area that people wish to visit. Tourism must therefore be used as a dynamo for conservation and not as a destructive counter-force.

 

Footnotes:

 

[1] See Table 6:6

[2] Willis K G. Garrod G D, & Saunders C M. 1993, Valuation of the South Downs and Somerset Levels and Moors ESA Landscapes by the General Public, University of Newcastle, Centre for Rural Economy, Executive Summary, p10.

[3] See Chapter 6, part 3 "Visitor Population".

[4] See Chapter 6, part 2 "Visitor Expenditure".

[5] See Chapter 6, part 2 "Personal Profile of typical Downland visitors".

[6] Countryside Recreation Network News, 1994, 1993 UK Day Visits Survey, Survey Research Associates for Countryside Commission, Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish and Wales Tourist Boards, Forestry Commission, British Waterways and Dept. National Heritage, Volume 2, Number 1, Feb, pages 1 and 7-12.

[7] This is a "safe" understatement of the actual, see Table 13:3 and related footnote.

[8] Public notice displayed on M25.

[9] Marketing Week, 1994, "Saatchi, Burnett to Share P&G's œ130m", 15 April, page 7.

[10] Murray I. 1994, "The Petting of a Body Politic", Marketing Week, 1 April, page 58.

[11] Marketing Week, 1994, "Top 100 Advertisiers", 13 May, page 40.

[12] See Table 7:3.

[13] This results from the overall expenditure being averaged across all respondents, including random non responses within individual groups; whereas the user group expenditure is only taken across the sample recorded for that user group, thereby excluding non responses. Furthermore, the total is based on selected sub samples with indeterminate overlap and not all sub samples. All group expenditure is therefore proportionately misrepresented. In addition some minor error is accrued by decimal rounding.

[14] Bowen D. 1993, "Facing the Facts of Life in the Country", Independent on Sunday, 10 Dec. p7.

[15] Gunn C A. 1994, Tourism Planning, Taylor and Francis, London, p3.

[16] SDCB, 1992/3, Annual Report, p1.

[17] Cherrett T. (Sussex Rural Community Council) et al, 1994, Rural Community Needs, unpublished report prepared by the SDCB Rural Development Panel, Jan.

[18] Haines G H. 1973, Whose Countryside?, Dent, London, p106/107.

[19] Blunden J and Turner G. 1985, Critical Countryside, BBC, London, p89-101.

[20] Johnston R J. Gregory D & Smith D M. 1994, Human Geography, dictionary of, 3rd ed. Blackwell, Oxford, p57-59.

[21] Shoard M. 1980, The Theft of the Countryside, Temple Smith, London, p169.

[22] Cherrett T. 1994,  See 4.17.

[23] County Planning Officer, ESCC & SDCB Officer, 1993, Draft Sussex Heritage Coast Managment Plan, see 4.7.7 and 4.7.8.

[24] Brake J. 1993, "New Forest - Look Again at Need for Review", Letter by Member of the New Forest Committee, National Parks Today, ed. 36, published by Friends of National Parks, p6.

[25] SEETB, 1990, Tourism Fact Sheets - West Sussex.

[26] SEETB, c.1989, Tourism Fact Sheets - East Sussex.

[27] See Chapter 4.

[28] Wright P. 1994, "Harvesting the Future from Rocky Ground", The Guardian, 14 May, p31; Clark G. Darrall J. Grove-White R. Macnaghten P. & Urry J. Lancaster University, 1994, Leisure Landscapes - Leisure, Culture and the English Countryside: Challenges and Conflicts, review of, CPRE, May.

[29] Ryan C. 1991, Recreational Tourism, Routledge, London, p76-79.

[30] See Archer's Model in Ryan C. 1991, p92-93.

[31] Chambers R. 1983, Rural Development, Longman, Harlow.

[32] Murray I, 1993, "Nothing to Write Home About", Marketing Week, 13 Aug. p53.

[33] Bacon M. & Le Pelley B. 1992/3, District Councils and the Economic Benefits of Tourism, Insights pub. A-71, Nov 92 and A-97 Jan 93, ETB.

[34] Weir J. 1987, Dartmoor National Park, Webb and Bower, Exeter, p118.

[35] See Chapter 2 part 5 "ESA" and earlier in Chapter 13.

[36] ITN, 1994, News At Ten, special feature on set-aside, 11 Aug.

[37] Based on data from the CPRE conference at University of Sussex, 8 Oct 1993.

[38] Rocca T. 1994, "Au Revoir to all this?" Sunday Express, 3, 24 July, p22.

[39] Newby H, 1994, "Keep Out: This Land is Their Land", estimates quoted in The Guardian, Outlook, 13 Aug by Norton-Taylor and Cahill.

[40] SEETB, 1991, South East First, A stategy for tourism in South East England, p3.