For proof of how a strong sense of identity can benefit a place, look no further than the Forest of Bowland, 300 square miles of beautiful rural landscape in Lancashire and north Yorkshire.
Six years ago, a survey found that even local tourism officers would describe the area as being ‘close to the Yorkshire Dales’ or ‘near the Lake District’, rather than highlighting what Bowland itself – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – had to offer.
Just 16,000 people live in the AONB, mostly in villages, hamlets or isolated homes in the open countryside. It is always a challenge to ensure that such rural areas are socially sustainable and economically productive.
Enter the Forest of Bowland AONB Partnership, which includes local landowners, farmers and voluntary organisations, as well as the six district and two county councils. It was agreed that the area needed a sustainable tourism strategy, including a Sense of Place project aimed at establishing a distinct identity for Bowland.
In a nutshell, the project calls on local people and businesses to take the Bowland challenge – to know what’s unique about their area, shout about it and pass their knowledge and enthusiasm to visitors.
A Sense of Place toolkit was developed to inspire businesses to learn about and sell the attractive and distinctive elements of the area. The toolkit provides information on popular places to go and things to do, as well as images, case studies and resources. It suggests action points businesses can implement to promote and enhance the Bowland identity, and contains a CD of text and pictures for businesses to use free of charge.
The AONB partnership also offers a free day’s training aimed at equipping businesses to understand how the Sense of Place concept can benefit their work, and putting them in touch with local products and services.
A key strand to the Sense of Place project is local produce. The Forest of Bowland is a sheep and cattle farming area, so lamb and beef are specialities, but pork and even wild boar are also available. The area also offers classic and modern varieties of Lancashire cheese and supports several organic farms and market gardens.
A directory of local food and outlets is made available to businesses to encourage them to buy local and spread the word to their customers.
More information: http://www.forestofbowland.com/home
Picture of the Forest of Bowland near Marshaw by charltonlido: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charltonlido/. Used under Creative Commons licence