Cumbria Tourism

What Cumbria Tourism does

Cumbria Tourism is the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Cumbria, England, operating as a company limited by guarantee since its founding in 1974. It functions as an independent membership body representing more than 4,500 tourism-related businesses across accommodation, attractions, food and drink, retail, and transport. In 2024 it received accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status, consolidating its standing as the county's official tourist board and aligning it with public funding mechanisms.

The organisation runs a diversified product portfolio centred on tiered membership subscriptions (Level 1–3 Tourism Business, Supplier, Professional Services, Community, and Individual tiers priced £181–£1,107+VAT), paid training courses (Welcome Host, Welcome Host Gold, Welcome All at £795–£995+VAT), licensed research products (Cumbria Full STEAM Report £999+VAT, Cumbria Visitor Survey £695+VAT, occupancy reports £150+VAT), and B2B marketing services (banner ads, social posts, e-newsletter ads, sponsorship, trade stands). Its digital footprint comprises visitlakedistrict.com, cumbriatourism.org, mycumbriacard.co.uk, the Tourism Talent Hub portal, and a media library. Annual campaigns include Let's Go Spring/Summer, Let's Go Autumn/Winter, the award-winning Let's Go Car Free (in partnership with Avanti West Coast, Northern, Stagecoach and TransPennine Express), Dark Skies Cumbria, and the Cumbria Coastal Route, alongside the annual Cumbria Tourism Awards.

Commercially, Cumbria Tourism monetises through subscription recurring revenue (memberships, MyCumbria Card at £20/yr), one-time licensing (research reports, Holiday Guide), professional services (training courses, bespoke marketing/PR/videography), and advertising. It serves a hybrid audience: B2B members (tourism businesses of all sizes) as the primary segment, with secondary B2C exposure through Visit Lake District and MyCumbria Card. Leadership comprises Managing Director Gill Haigh, Chairman Mark Holroyd, President Jim Walker, and Vice Chair Jennifer Cormack. Forward priorities include Tour de France Grand Départ 2027 preparations and a £1m VisitEngland North West Coast campaign addressing an 11% decline in coastal visitors.

Name

Cumbria Tourism

Legal name

Cumbria Tourism

Website

https://cumbriatourism.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cumbria Tourism is the official Destination Management Organisation for Cumbria, UK, operating as a membership body representing 4,500+ tourism businesses through tiered subscriptions, licensed research reports, training courses, B2B marketing services, and destination campaigns under the Visit Lake District and MyCumbria brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management and Tourism Membership Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation & Access Services (Shuttles, Ferry Access, Scenic Drives Permits) (THAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL), Destination Weddings & Social Groups (Non-Corporate Groups) (THAHADAL)

Keywords

• Destination management services
• Tourism membership organisation
• Visitor economy research
• Hospitality training courses
• Travel trade marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kendal

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees ranging from £181 (Individual) to £1,107 (Level 3 tourism businesses), valid until 30th September 2027. Provides marketing, PR, research access, and member benefits.
2. Training Courses: Welcome Host, Welcome Host Gold, and Welcome All training courses priced at £795-£995+VAT, focused on customer service excellence and accessibility for tourism/hospitality businesses.
3. Research Reports: Sold reports including Cumbria Full STEAM Report 2024 (£999+VAT), Cumbria Visitor Survey 2025 (£695+VAT), Tourism in Cumbria 2024 Key Facts (£250+VAT), and occupancy reports (£150+VAT).
4. B2B Marketing Services: Banner ads (£50+VAT/month), social media posts (£50+VAT), e-newsletter ads (£100-£250+VAT), trade stands (£120+VAT), and member meeting sponsorship (£1,000+VAT) for businesses.
5. MyCumbria Card Scheme: £20 annual discount card for Cumbrian residents/workers offering discounts at participating businesses across food, drink, attractions, and retail.
6. Holiday Guide and Publications: Free Holiday Guide with £2.50 postage charge for UK orders. Promotional tool for accommodation, attractions, and food/drink listings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cumbria Tourism is the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) and Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Cumbria, operating as a membership organisation representing more than 4,500 tourism-related businesses. Its core commercial offerings include tiered business membership subscriptions, paid training courses (Welcome Host family), sold visitor-economy research reports, B2B marketing/advertising services, and consumer-facing loyalty products such as the MyCumbria Card.

Product overview

Cumbria Tourism is a membership organization representing over 4,500 tourism-related businesses and serves as the official Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Cumbria. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio structured around membership services, research products, training programmes, visitor marketing campaigns, and branded platforms. Core offerings include tiered membership programmes (Level 1-3, Supplier, Professional Services, Community, Individual) providing access to marketing, PR, lobbying, and business support services. Research products include the Cumbria Full STEAM Report, Cumbria Visitor Survey, and occupancy reports for serviced and self-catering accommodation. Training offerings comprise Welcome Host Course, Welcome Host Gold Course, and Welcome All Training Course. The organization operates visitor-facing brands including Visit Lake District (managing visitlakedistrict.com) and MyCumbria Card loyalty programme. Seasonal marketing campaigns include Let's Go Spring/Summer, Let's Go Autumn/Winter, and the award-winning Let's Go Car Free campaign. Additional offerings include the Cumbria Tourism Awards, The Cumbria Tourism Podcast, Tourism Talent Hub, Dark Skies Cumbria campaign, Cumbria Coastal Route, and the Holiday Guide publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visit Lake District: Consumer-facing tourism brand for the Lake District area, promoting visitor experiences, accommodation, and attractions.
• MyCumbria
• Tourism Talent Hub
• Cumbria Tourism Awards

Products and services

• Cumbria Tourism Membership Tiered annual membership organisation for tourism-related businesses (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Supplier, Professional Services, Community, Individual) providing marketing, PR, lobbying, research access, and business support services across 4,500+ member network.
• MyCumbria Card Annual discount card costing £20 including VAT for Cumbrian residents and workers (CA or LA postcodes), offering discounts on food, drink, things to do, and shopping across participating local businesses.
• Cumbria Visitor Survey 2025 County-wide visitor research report costing £695+VAT, covering visitor origins, demographics, motivations, and activities based on nearly 2,200 face-to-face interviews at 60+ locations.
• Cumbria Full STEAM Report 2024 Comprehensive visitor-economy dataset costing £999+VAT containing visitor days, visitor numbers, direct expenditure, economic impact, and employment data by visitor type and sector with trend data for 2023-2024.
• Cumbria Visitor Survey 2022 Face-to-face visitor research report covering 2,010 in-depth surveys at 60+ locations across Cumbria from May to October 2022, providing county-wide visitor insights.
• Serviced Accommodation Occupancy Report 2025 Annual occupancy analysis for B&Bs and serviced accommodation at £150+VAT, broken down by location, business type, size, and quality rating.
• Self Catering Occupancy Report 2025 Annual occupancy analysis for self-catering businesses at £150+VAT, broken down by location, business type, size, and quality rating.
• Welcome Host Course One-day practical customer service training at £795–£995+VAT (member/non-member rates) covering communication, service standards, problem-handling, and customer-oriented thinking for tourism/hospitality customer-facing staff.
• Welcome Host Gold Course One-day advanced customer service training course at £795–£995+VAT focusing on key skills for exceptional customer service, adaptable to destination- or business-specific content.
• Welcome All Training Course Accessibility and inclusion training at £795–£995+VAT covering disability understanding, legal obligations, and inclusive communication for tourism/hospitality businesses.
• B2B Marketing Services Business-to-business marketing services including banner ads (£50+VAT/month), social media posts (£50+VAT), e-newsletter ads (£100–£250+VAT), trade stands (£120+VAT), and members' meeting sponsorship (£1,000+VAT).
• Holiday Guide 2026 – The Lake District, Cumbria Comprehensive printed tourism brochure featuring accommodation, food, adventures, and events listings for the Lake District and Cumbria, available free with £2.50 UK postage.
• Tourism Talent Hub Online resource showcasing full-time, part-time, seasonal and 'live in' job opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry, providing access to training, apprenticeships, and adult training programmes in partnership with five education providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tourism generates £4.6bn annually for Cumbria's visitor economy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avanti West CoastcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2026Partnership with Avanti West Coast, Northern, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, and TransPennine Express for the award-winning 'Let's Go Car Free' campaign to encourage sustainable visitor transport to Cumbria
• Northern (Train Operator)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2026Partnership with Avanti West Coast, Northern, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, and TransPennine Express for the award-winning 'Let's Go Car Free' campaign to encourage sustainable visitor transport to Cumbria
• Stagecoach Cumbria & North LancashirecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2026Partnership with Avanti West Coast, Northern, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, and TransPennine Express for the award-winning 'Let's Go Car Free' campaign to encourage sustainable visitor transport to Cumbria
• TransPennine ExpresscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 April 2026Partnership with Avanti West Coast, Northern, Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, and TransPennine Express for the award-winning 'Let's Go Car Free' campaign to encourage sustainable visitor transport to Cumbria
• WestmorlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Official Strategic Partnership reinforcing shared commitment to championing Cumbria's visitor economy, local communities, and landscapes. Westmorland is owned by a Cumbrian farming family and is one of the largest businesses in the county
• VisitEnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026£1m VisitEngland marketing campaign 'All on England's North West Coast' working with regional partners to boost spring breaks to the North West coast, addressing 11% decline in coastal visitor numbers
• TripadvisorminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Regional partner in VisitEngland's £1m North West Coast marketing campaign, contributing to destination promotion and visitor engagement
• Marketing LancashireminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Regional partner in VisitEngland's £1m North West Coast marketing campaign, contributing to multi-destination promotion across the North West coast
• Liverpool City Region Destination PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Regional partner in VisitEngland's £1m North West Coast marketing campaign, contributing to cross-regional tourism promotion
• Lakes CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2023Education partner in the Tourism Talent Hub initiative, developed to showcase diverse career opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry and address recruitment challenges
• Carlisle CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2023Education partner in the Tourism Talent Hub initiative, developed to showcase diverse career opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry and address recruitment challenges
• Kendal CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2023Education partner in the Tourism Talent Hub initiative, developed to showcase diverse career opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry and address recruitment challenges
• Furness CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2023Education partner in the Tourism Talent Hub initiative, developed to showcase diverse career opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry and address recruitment challenges
• University of CumbriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2023University partner in the Tourism Talent Hub initiative, developed to showcase diverse career opportunities in Cumbria's tourism industry and address recruitment challenges
• Lloyd Motor GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2023Long-term automotive partnership providing plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles to Cumbria Tourism to promote eco-friendly transport in the county. Includes BMW 225e Active Tourer and Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge vehicles
• SP Electricity North WestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor for Cumbria Tourism Awards 2026, supporting the annual celebration of tourism excellence in the county
• Lamont PridmorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning, family-run chartered accountants and business advisers with offices throughout Cumbria and Lancashire, serving as strategic partner and tourism/hospitality specialists
• Lake District National Park AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in visitor research and destination management, collaborating on Cumbria Visitor Survey and Destination Management Plan development
• Cumberland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in visitor economy development, collaborating on research, marketing campaigns, and tourism strategy including attract and disperse initiatives
• Westmorland and Furness CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in visitor economy development, collaborating on research, marketing campaigns, and tourism strategy including the Westmorland & Furness Way walking route

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Lake District National Park Authority: Statutory authority managing England's largest national park, which overlaps the core area Cumbria Tourism markets. Comparable by shared destination focus, partnership on visitor research, and Destination Management Plan collaboration, though not a commercial DMO.
• Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority: National park authority for the Yorkshire Dales, covering a UK protected area destination of similar profile to the Lake District. Comparable as a destination steward collaborating with regional tourism bodies, but operating as a public authority rather than a membership DMO.

Broad incumbents

• VisitScotland: Scotland's national tourist board. Closest national-level peer to Cumbria Tourism by function — destination marketing, member services, research, and quality assurance — but serving an entire country rather than a single county.
• Visit Wales: Welsh Government tourism body operating as the national DMO for Wales. Comparable in function (destination promotion, member schemes, quality grading) and operates at a slightly larger geographic scale than Cumbria Tourism.
• VisitBritain: The national tourism agency for Great Britain, handling international inbound promotion. Comparable in mission (destination marketing/management) but operating at a national rather than county level.
• ABTA – The Travel Association: Largest UK travel trade association, offering member services, lobbying, and consumer protection. Comparable as a tourism-focused membership association, although its members are predominantly travel agents and tour operators rather than regional tourism businesses.
• VisitEngland: The national tourist board for England that co-funds regional marketing campaigns with Cumbria Tourism (e.g., the £1m 'All on England's North West Coast' campaign). Operates one tier above Cumbria Tourism in the UK DMO hierarchy and is a direct strategic partner.

Direct peers

• UKinbound: UK trade association representing the inbound tourism sector, with a comparable membership-and-advocacy business model. Although broader in scope, it parallels Cumbria Tourism's trade-body, lobbying, and B2B marketing functions within UK tourism.
• Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership: Regional destination partnership for the Liverpool City Region co-partnering with Cumbria Tourism on VisitEngland's NW Coast campaign. Directly comparable as a neighbouring UK regional DMO collaborating on cross-regional promotion.
• Marketing Lancashire: Regional DMO for Lancashire co-partnering with Cumbria Tourism on the VisitEngland North West Coast campaign. Directly comparable by business model, scale, and audience as a neighbouring UK county-level destination marketing organisation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cumbriatouristboard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cumbria-tourism
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakedistrictcumbria
• TikToktiktok.com/@lakedistrictcumbria
• Xx.com/cumbriatourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cumbria Tourism