Celebrities urge autumn trips to stunning Cumbria

Actors, sports stars and celebrities are adding their weight to a campaign sharing the delights of the Lake District, Cumbria, in a bid to encourage more visits in coming weeks.

David Hasselhoff, TV presenter Helen Skelton and actress Anna Friel are among the high-profile names to contribute to the new Cumbria tourism initiative.

Other familiar faces 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.

It is all part of Cumbria Tourism’s #theperfectplacetobe recovery marketing campaign, to help tourism and hospitality businesses affected by more than £1.5 billion lost income, due to the impact of COVID-19.

Following months of closure and just a few weeks of summer trading, thousands of tourism jobs in the county are at risk, so activity in the autumn and winter months will be all the more critical this year.

To help launch the autumn campaign and build on the momentum for staycations, Cumbria Tourism has called on an array of well-known faces - many of whom have strong Cumbrian connections - to show their love for this world-class destination by sharing their own personal messages.

They will share their favourite parts of the Lake District, Cumbria, to inspire people to rediscover this diverse county during the quieter months.

Celebrities showed more than willing to get behind the initiative.

Locations featured alongside the messages from each promoter include St Bees, Cartmel, the Solway Plain, Scafell Pike, Ullswater, Wastwater, Blencathra, Muncaster, Derwentwater, Kendal, Windermere, Catbells, Dodd Fell, Helvellyn and more.

The messages will be shared with Cumbria Tourism’s social media audience of more than a quarter of a million people in coming weeks, and each celebrity will be asked to share them on their own channels, to highlight the region as a great destination all-year round.

The full range of endorsements will also be available on the region’s official tourism website, visitlakedistrict.com here, and feature in the 2021 Lake District, Cumbria, Holiday Guide.

The Cumbria Tourism team will tag participating celebrities in its posts and asking them to reshare within social media.

“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,” said the 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 superb outdoor adventures, but also fantastic food, fascinating culture and heritage, and unique attractions and experiences.”

Another celebrity adding his name to the campaign is broadcaster Stuart Maconie, who said: “Last week for the first time in many months, I did two fell walks in Cumbria and I’ve been missing it so much. 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 business and is welcoming you back.”