Cumbria Tourism has received significant national status.

VisitEngland announced yesterday (April 12) that Cumbria Tourism has been awarded Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status.

This enables ongoing support from a team of dedicated VisitEngland regional development leads, and access to resources and guidance nationally, which can help them bid for funding.

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh, said: “This is a great opportunity for our county to further strengthen its position as a world-class destination, working in a truly coordinated and joined up way locally, regionally and nationally to develop our shared vision and drive forward an innovative, sustainable visitor economy which supports local jobs and communities all year round.

“We’re looking forward to working with a range of tourism businesses and partners, including Cumbria’s two new unitary authorities, the Lake District National Park and local tourism associations who will all feed into our work at both an operational and strategic level.

“We will also be collaborating closely with the other newly-appointed LVEPs across the wider Northwest region to maximise the opportunities for the North, ensure our collective voice is heard and encourage sustainable tourism growth outside London.”