What do David Hasselhoff, TV presenter Helen Skelton and actress Anna Friel all have in common? They’re among just three of the high-profile names to contribute to a new Cumbria Tourism initiative which forms part of its Autumn and Winter Marketing Campaign to inspire visits to the Lake District, Cumbria.
Other familiar faces getting behind the new celebrity endorsement campaign range from TV personality and regular visitor Julia Bradbury, comedian and resident Jon Richardson, and Olympic and Great North Swim competitor Cassie Patten, to homegrown Cumbrian heroes including mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, Lord Melvyn Bragg and MasterChef 2019 winner Irini Tzortzoglou.
The initiative is part of Cumbria Tourism’s wider #theperfectplacetobe Recovery Marketing Campaign to help tourism and hospitality businesses affected by more than £1.5billion lost income following the impact of COVID-19. Following months of closure and just a few short weeks of summer trading, thousands of tourism jobs in the county are at risk, so the performance of the industry during the autumn and winter months will be all the more critical this year.
To help launch the campaign’s autumn activity and build on the momentum for staycations, Cumbria Tourism has called on an array of well-known faces across different walks of life – many of whom have strong Cumbrian connections – and invited them to show their love for this world-class destination by sharing their own personal messages.
The aim is simple: To share their favourite parts of the Lake District, Cumbria, and to inspire people to rediscover this diverse and spacious county during the traditionally quieter months for a well-served staycation. We are pleased to say our celebs have jumped at the chance to get behind Cumbria Tourism and the industry.
Locations featured alongside the messages from each celebrity include St Bees, Cartmel, the Solway Plain, Scafell Pike, Ullswater, Wastwater, Blencathra, Muncaster, Derwentwater, Kendal, Windermere, Catbells, Dodd Fell, Helvellyn and many more.
The celebrity messages will be shared with Cumbria Tourism’s social media audience of more than a quarter of a million people in the coming weeks, and each celebrity will also be asked to share them on their own channels to highlight the region as a great place to visit all-year round.
As more are sent in, the full range of Cumbria Tourism’s celebrity endorsements will also be available on the region’s official tourism website, visitlakedistrict.com and feature in the 2021 Lake District, Cumbria, Holiday Guide. The Cumbria Tourism team will also be tagging participating celebrities into its posts and asking them to reshare with their social media audiences.
“We all know this is a special place but with so many well-known faces sharing that passion it’s great to hear their insights and genuine love or connection with the county,” says Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Gill Haigh.
“The messages have been a joy to read and we can’t wait to share them with our potential visitors, particularly those who missed their holidays here during lockdown. Our awe-inspiring landscape has so much to offer; not only some superb outdoor adventures, but also fantastic food, fascinating culture and heritage, and plenty of unique attractions and experiences.”
Another celebrity to add his name to the campaign is broadcaster Stuart Maconie, who says, “Last week for the first time in many months, I did two fell walks in Cumbria and I’ve been missing it so much. In fact, I hadn’t realised just how much I’d been missing it until I was out there again. Everything is there – the lakes are there, the shops, the pubs and the restaurants are there. Obviously, you may have to book ahead now things are a little different to normal, but Cumbria is open for businesses and is welcoming you back so it would be great to see you there.”