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ourism is Dorset's predominant industry, andthe coast is arguably Dorset's mostimportant single tourism asset. Dorset's

tourism industry is a highly diverse range ofsmall and medium sized businesses, supportedby many co-ordinating initiatives.

Tourism has to adapt continually to changes inthe visitor market, and improve its product andmarketing. It is also a clear source of many of thepressures on the coastal environment and communities.How to build the tourism economy, and sustain the coastal environmentrepresents a huge and continuing challenge. Meeting it demandsincreased and effective partnerships both within the industry, andbetween tourism, environmental and community interests.

This topic paper focuses on activerecreation and sport on the DorsetCoast and:

• Summarises tourism in Dorset andoutlines some possible future trendsand their implications;

• Invites comment from the Forumabout issues related to tourism onthe Dorset coast.

Tourism in Dorset: A Potted History

Coastal tourism in Dorset has followed the classicpattern of many attractive coastal regions. Resortsdeveloped in the wake of the Georgian and Victorianvogue for sea bathing. There was steady growththrough the 50s, 60s and early 70s partly as a resultof the increasing use of rail and road travel, resultingin more British families taking an annual holiday by the

sea. However in the late 70s and early 80s,competition from foreign package holidays led thedecline of the British seaside holiday. The advent ofthe recession in the late 80s and early 90s affected UKtourism further. New trends have emerged sincewhich are still apparent today, these include:

• Increased competition from foreign holidays anda decline in long UK family holidays;

• An increase in second, or third short UK trips;• An increase in day tripping, which does not use

local accommodation;• A growth in interest in niche markets for special

interest holidays, including a focus on how togenerate business outside the main season;

• Increase in overseas visitors;• Growth in business tourism.

The pattern of urban development in Dorset duringthe twentieth century has influenced tourism patterns,and a clear distinction can be made between activityin Poole, Christchurch and Bournemouth – and thatelsewhere in 'rural' Dorset.

T

Towards policy for Dorset’s Coast:

TourismDorset Coast Strategy aims to achieve integrated management of the whole of Dorset’s Coast and inshore waters out to the 12-mile limit for the first

time. The Strategy’s policies are voluntary, and are promoted by the Dorset Coast Forum.

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Tourism in the Coastal Zone, and who regulates it... Intertidal The Channel

• Recreation (see Recreation Topic Paper)

Land Open Sea (UK Waters)

• Accommodation• Built Attractions• Natural Attractions• Recreation (see Recreation Topic

Paper)

• Recreation (see Recreation TopicPaper)

Mean H

igh W

ater

Mean Low

Water

3 Mile Lim

it

6 Mile Lim

it

12 Mile Lim

it

English Channel

Median Line

The Regulators

International No involvement

Europe New camping and caravan sites require anenvironmental impact assessment (EIA), tobe undertaken as outlined in the EUEnvironmental Assessment Directive.

National Department of the Environment PolicyGuidelines for the Coast 1995 DETR Produce Project Planning GuidanceNotes (PPG 20 - Coastal Development &PPG 21 - Tourism) which provide clear,accessible and systematic policy guidance.

Region Some tourism strategies such as the DorsetTourism Strategy covers more than onelocal government authority. The DorsetTourism Marketing Strategy also covers theNew Forest.

County &UnitaryAuthorities

Local Planning Authority produces theStructure Plan, which outlines overallcounty planning issues including tourismdevelopment. Heritage Coast Plans also specify tourism-related policies.

District Specific byelaws affecting tourism.Production of the Local Plan which

outlines future planning policies, includingtourism related issues

Management of District run car parks.

Town / Parish Specific byelaws affecting tourism. Management of town / parish car parks.

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Coastal Tourism Today

Tourism is Dorset's predominant industry, providingover 38,000 jobs in the county and generating a totalannual income of over £830 million. The coastal zoneis undoubtedly one of the principal attractions, and assuch represents a vital economic asset to the industry.The coastal zone attracts in the region of 16.5 millionvisitors each year, with approximately 1 million comefrom overseas - a growth of 17% since 1989. Of this16.5 million visitors around 3.5 million remain for onenight or more in local accommodation.Six main categories of visitors can be identified:

• Day VisitorsAre those who visit Dorset and return to their home,on the same day. Many visit on the spur of themoment as a result of good weather, or to undertake arecreational activity or visit either a built or naturalattraction. Statistics show that although many dayvisitors are local residents (see below), others arehappy to travel from as far away as London, theMidlands and the West Country.

• Overnight VisitorsSpend at least one night in paid accommodation withinthe county. They include educational and businesstrips as well as holidays in the region. Approximately20% of all visitors to the Dorset coast stay overnight,their average level of spending is over twice that of dayvisitors.

• Business Trips (Day or overnight visitors)Business trips are mainly confined to the easternconurbation. Bournemouth has a range of conferencefacilities, including the Bournemouth InternationalCentre (BIC) which is the venue for some of the UK'smajor conferences.

• Educational Vis its (Day or overnight visitors)Outdoor education on the Dorset coast attracts in theregion of 250,000 student visits each year. In additionmany foreign student attend language schools withinthe county. For more information see the topic paperon Educational Use.

• Special Interest (Day or overnight visitors)Includes both recreational users who travel to thecoast in order to undertake a specific sport and thosewho visit the area for its geological, historical, literaryor wildlife interest.

• Local Resident-Visitors (Day visitors)

This category probably includes most members of theDorset Coast Forum. How often have you got up on asunny day and decided to drive to the beach or anattraction several miles away on the Dorset coast?Dorset residents do not consider themselves as'tourists' whilst in Dorset, although many of us utilisethe coast and its facilities in a similar way to thosevisiting from out of county.

Contribution to the Local Economy

Throughout the county there are vast differences inthe type and volume of tourism. The coastal resortsand smaller coastal towns and villages are heavilydependent on tourism, in terms of both economicrevenue and employment opportunities. An estimated37,500 people are employed both directly andindirectly in the tourism sector in Dorset, around 65%of these work in coastal area. These figures includeemployees in: restaurants, snack bars, cafes, etc.,public houses, bars, night clubs, licensed clubs, hoteltrade, caravan parks, other tourist/short stayaccommodation, museums, art galleries, attractions,sport and recreation providers, travel agencies andtour operators.

Along the Dorset coast, tourism spending generates inthe region of £800 million per year. A breakdown perDistrict can be seen on the central map.

Expenditure varies markedly between staying and dayvisitors, with an estimated breakdown of averagespend per visitor as follows:

Overnight Day visitorAccommodation £13.82 -Food & Drink £6.76 £4.57Travel £1.47 £3.17Entertainment £2.94 £1.27Shopping £3.92 £2.92Other £0.59 £0.76Total(per day) £29.41 £12.69Source: 1992 Dorset Tourism Data Project

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Natural Attractions along the DorsetCoast

There is no question that visitors place a high value onthe attractiveness of the Dorset countryside and coast.This quality was ranked first among the area's assets asa holiday destination in visitor surveys across thecounty in 1997 (SOURCE: Dorset Tourism DataProject).

In Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch (and atSwanage, Weymouth and Lyme Regis) the naturalattractions are the beaches and the attainment of highstandards of water cleanliness and beach managementare both major priorities. Poole Harbour is anattractive centre for yachting, watersports and boat-trips.

The unspoilt coast of rural Dorset is highly attractiveto visitors, and attracts visitors from both the ruraldistricts and the conurbation. The coastal landscapesand small towns and villages represent a major seriesof visitor attractions. Lyme Regis, in the west of thecounty is famous for its connection with Jane Austen,Mary Anning and the Cobb. Chesil beach attractsvisitors for recreational purposes, in particular anglingand is a natural spectacle. The Isle of Portland andPortland Bill are also popular visitor attractions.Hengistbury Head in the far east of the county attractsin the region of 780,000 people annually, whilstapproximately 130,000 people per year make use ofthe visitor centre at Durlston Country Park nearSwanage.

In addition, over 1 million people walk some of theSouth West Coast Path between Poole and Lyme Regiseach year.

Several private estates in the area contain nationallyrecognised geomorphological features formed as aresult of natural processes acting on the geology.These include the Encombe estate at Kimmeridge andthe Weld Estate at Lulworth, famous for Durdle Doorand Lulworth Cove - it is estimated that 500,000people visit Lulworth Cove annually. Other significantpublicly accessible land is owned by Dorset CountyCouncil, and by the National Trust who own andprotect over 17 kilometres of the Dorset Coastline,including three substantial sites of Golden Cap Estate,Studland Bay and Corfe Castle & Village.

Built Attractions in the Coastal Zone

Although it is the natural attractions which attracts themajority of visitors to Dorset, the county has over 120built visitor attractions covering a range of interestsincluding historical properties, wildlife attractions,museums and exhibitions, gardens and country parks.

Attractions have a particular value in providing wetweather alternatives to outdoor activities. They alsoinclude local amenities such as retail centres, leisurecomplexes such as Tower Park and local sportsfacilities. The resort towns of Bournemouth,Christchurch, Poole Weymouth, Lyme Regis andSwanage could also be considered as 'built attractions'in themselves. Major visitor attractions in Dorset'scoastal zone include:

Annual visitsAbbotsbury Swannery 106,000Bovington Tank Museum 121,535Poole Pottery 1,000,000Christchurch Priory 131,330Sea Life Park (Weymouth) 220,000Swanage Steam Railway 140,000Brewers Quay 300,000Deep Sea Adventure (Weymouth) 52,000Abbotsbury Gardens 60,000

In a future, which is fast evolving around IT, homeentertainment and 'thrill rides' at theme park such asChessington and Disney, attractions have to alter theirimage in order to stay both interesting andcompetitive. As a result large operators are addingnew elements into their attraction with interactivedisplays and new technology and features becoming arequirement rather than an 'extra'.

Coastal Visitor Accommodation

There is a variety of accommodation available withinthe county, ranging from camping and caravan sites to1-5 star hotels and holiday cottages. Over the past20- 30 years there has been a marked change in therequirement for the different accommodation types.In the early 1960s approximately 20 % of visitors(excluding those staying with family and friends) choseto stay in self catering accommodation, whist theremaining 80% stayed in serviced accommodation(hotels, B & Bs and guest houses). Currently self-catering accommodation represents some 70 % oftourist accommodation.

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The accommodation range is not divided evenlythroughout the county and some areas are much moredependent on one form of accommodation thananother. A breakdown of accommodation within eachcoastal sector can be seen on the central map.

Caravan Parks represent a large proportion of theaccommodation stock in rural Dorset. The trends inthe market have led to many of these sites investing inancillary leisure facilities, in order to meet increasingexpectations of quality within the family holidaymarket. As a result standards have probably increasedat a greater rate than hotels, on many sites hirecaravans are replaced every three to four years. Insome cases these can be visually intrusive, and atpresent many local caravan park owners areundertaking environmental improvements - such asplanting trees and improving the appearance of theirsites. Pressure is also being placed on manufacturersto produce a wider range of caravan types and coloursin order to allow the caravans to merge better into thecountryside.

Serviced accommodation is distributed unevenlythroughout the County, but represents the mainstay ofaccommodation in the conurbations. Lack of growthin the residential market has restricted investment, anda proportion of serviced accommodation in some ofthe county's smaller resorts is in need of improvement.The increased expectations of tourists means a largemajority consider en-suite accommodation as standardand not as a luxury.

Visitor Movement along the Coast

The most common mode of visitor transport in thecounty is the car, with almost 80 % of visitors utilisingthis form of travel. This is not altogether surprisingconsidering that modern families tend to have so muchparaphernalia. In the rural areas, only a smallproportion of visitors use the local public transportsystem, possibly due to the low frequency of buses,which tend to be focused on the needs of residentsrather than the tourists. In the resort areas, buses areutilised more over relatively short distances. Thequality of public transport in rural areas inhibits manyvisitors from walking from A to B, and as a result it hasbecome common for visitors to use circular pathsclose to car parking facilities.

Narrow county lanes in Purbeck and West Dorsetcombined with relatively few access point to the coast,encourages visitors to head for the resort beaches or

honey pot sites which can add to congestionproblems.

Sustainable Transport Initiatives

• Swanage Rai lway Park & Ride SchemeThe Swanage Railway is now utilised as part of a parkand ride scheme run by Purbeck District Council. Theroute runs from Norden, through Corfe Castle toSwanage. There are plans to re-instate the link fromthe Norden terminus through to Furzebrook, WorgretJunction and Wareham, restoring a link with thenational network.

• Purbeck Cycle WayThe cycle way comprises a variety of paths along quietcountry lanes through out Purbeck, which can bemixed and matched to suit individual requirements.Leaflets showing the routes can be obtained free ofcharge from Tourist Information Centres within theregion.

• Short Term Ticket InitiativesSome local attractions, such as the Sea Life Park, areforming local partnerships with bus operators toprovide free or reduced admission on production of avoucher obtained from participating bus operators onbus journeys into the town centre, in an attempt toreduce unnecessary car use.

• Weymouth Hopper BusesThroughout the main tourist season, Weymouth hasseveral dedicated buses which travel along the seafrontfrom the Pavilion to Bowleaze Cove. The busses whichrun on a continuous loop (approx. every 10 minutes)offer inexpensive short distance travel, in order toencourage visitors to leave their cars at theiraccommodation.

• Bournemouth Land TrainThroughout the summer the Bournemouth land-trainruns a regular service along the promenade betweenBoscombe and Bournemouth Piers. A similar serviceruns in Poole.

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Issues in the Market

• Holidays abroadThe trends in the domestic tourism market in the lasttwenty years have been dominated by the growth incheap holidays abroad, and Dorset has suffered itseffects. The greater availability and price reductions inlong haul travel destinations could continue to affectUK visitor numbers. All-inclusive holidays in exoticlocations such as the Caribbean etc. are also becomingmore popular. The impact has been to limit theprevious growth of the accommodation sector, andcreate a situation where competition has led topressures to both reduce holiday prices and increasequality. Visitor numbers to Dorset continue to growoverall however the upward trend is mainly in dayvisits, rather than the higher value overnight visitors.

• Second hol idaysWithin the residential sector, there is an increaseddemand for short second or third holidays, andweekend trips. This provides a market that is lessstable than the traditional longer holiday, withdecisions likely to be taken at shorter notice and agreater threat of cancellation.

• SeasonalityThe main school holidays, and a preference forsummer holidays, ensure that the tourism pattern inDorset shows a marked seasonality. The majority ofvisits take place within a relatively small amount oftime - between June and August. In the winter, aproportion of the visitor infrastructure, including somesmall shops and attractions close, due to less demandas visitor numbers decline. Large car parks andaccommodation are also under-utilised at these times.In the summer months the sudden boom in visitornumbers often results in an overloading of the visitorinfrastructure and congestion on the county's roads.This is not a new issue and there are a number ofinitiatives to reduce the difference in numbers byencouraging special interest groups to visit the areaout of season. Seasonality also ensures that sometourism jobs are only available for part of the year,and poses an annual recruitment problem for theindustry.

There are also a number of external national andglobal factors which may affect tourism, including:

• Global WarmingAlthough a remote concern at the moment, predictedchanges in climatic conditions in the future could have

major implications for Dorset's tourist markets in thelong term. It is not possible to predict the impactswith any certainty yet: on the one hand Dorset mightenjoy warmer weather, but the impacts of sea level riseand increased storminess could pose threats toproperty and beaches.

• The PoundEuropean Monetary Union (EMU) and the singlecurrency are likely to have an impact on overseasvisitors to the UK, especially if the UK delaysparticipation. At present the strong pound meanscheaper foreign holidays and consequently less foreignvisitors to the UK.

• Health Concernsincreased concern about the health impacts ofsunbathing and water quality may reduce theattractiveness of beach holidays, in favour ofalternative types of recreation and relaxation.

• School HolidaysThe Government has announced a review of schoolholidays, and changes to the current pattern wouldclearly have knock-on impacts for tourism. Thesuggestion is that the six-week break is now ananachronism, and that holidays should be more evenlyspread.

The Impacts of Tourism

Tourism has the potential to create impacts on theenvironment and communities that it relies on toaccommodate visitors. Its impacts are mitigated by thelong history of tourism activity. Communities havebecome used to tourism activity, and managementmeasures to limit some areas of environmental damagehave been implemented. Nevertheless, some impactsare far ranging, and they are set out below.

• Inappropriate DevelopmentAn increase in visitors can lead to pressure for newdevelopments to serve and capitalise on their needs:e.g. caravan parks, visitor centres, cafes, signs, carparks, and additional accommodation. Problems canarise if these facilities are out of keeping with thesetting or when local residents feel that they are anunnecessary addition to the area.

• OvercrowdingOvercrowding can occur when the number of peopleat a particular site or location exceeds the capacity ofthe place to handle them. This is generally a seasonal

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issue along the Dorset coast and is particularlyapparent at the honey pot sites such as LulworthCove, Corfe Castle and on Studland beach. Problemscan arise due to the increased risk of damage andassociated safety issues.

• Wear & TearVisitors can cause physical damage to the coastal areawithout realising it. Much of the damage isunintentional, such as at Lulworth where the pathbetween the Cove and Durdle Door is eroding due tothe volume of visitors using it through the summermonths. In this case the Weld Estate, CountrysideCommission and Purbeck District Council have joinedtogether to pay for the path to be resurfaced, in orderto prevent further erosion. Elsewhere it is not alwaysclear who should shoulder the burden of repair andmaintenance costs.

• TransportTourism is a major generator of traffic within Dorset.Whilst the conurbation can be reached by publictransport, elsewhere the main form of travel is by carwhich is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.Almost 80 % of visitors, use their cars to travel todestinations once they reach the county.

• Traffic CongestionIn the peak summer months congestion in the countycan be a major problem. Roads such as the A351through Corfe Castle to Swanage and Studland andthe A35 can become very congested often with trafficjams occurring at peak times such as in the morningor evening when people are travelling to and fromattractions. On many coastal routes the summer flowof traffic may be three or four times the annualaverage daily flow. Although most visitors travel by cara sizeable amount arrive in Dorset as part of organisedcoach tours. Although this has a positive side as thereare fewer cars to deal with, narrow streets and tightcorners in some towns such as Lyme Regis andSwanage pose some problems.

• Car ParkingMany car parks in the county are geared towardsvisitor parking in the peak months, therefore a highproportion remain virtually unused outside of the mainseason. In certain areas car parks can be visuallyintrusive and may reduce the enjoyment of the site.In busy periods conflicts many arise between theparking needs of local residents and of visitors. Inareas such as Swanage, Weymouth and Lyme Regisparking ideally situated for shopping is often used by

visitors staying in the resort for most of the day,despite long stay car parking being available elsewhere.

• Local Confl ictsSome of the issues, which are mentioned throughoutthis paper, arising as a result of visitor presence in thearea, can further increase local resentment. Trafficcongestion and inappropriate can cause resentmentand local opposition. The sheer number of visitorscan overwhelm residents in areas, which have a highvisitor presence for some of the year. In certain areasalong the coast holiday homes can account for up to20 % of the accommodation stock (see the Populationtopic paper) Additional conflict can occur as a resultof visitor vandalism or anti-social behaviour andseasonal price increases in resort areas.

Special Interest Holidays

Special interest holidays are becoming increasinglypopular throughout the whole country. Many of theseactivities attract 'high value' tourists. The Dorset coastand adjacent countryside have a variety of specialinterest niches, and could cater for greater numbers ofvisitors in this category. Special interest holidays offerthe prospect of attracting the tourists to the area inthe shoulder months and out of season. After all,there is no better time to find fossils, see over-wintering birds or study the effects of erosion thanafter the first winter storm.

Portland and the Fleet are important sites for over-wintering birds, (for more information see the Wildlifetopic paper), and on certain stretches of the coastPeregrine Falcons are known to be breeding. The oldPortland lighthouse has now been converted into abase for ornithologists in the area. The National Trustrun working holidays at several of their sites in Dorset,where people help with maintenance activities.

Dorset's remarkable coastline attracts many peoplewith an interest in earth sciences. 'Geo-tourism' existson the Dorset coast at localities such as Lulworthwhere people come to see and learn about thespectacular formations of the Cove, Stair Hole andDurdle Door or at Charmouth where the prospect ofdiscovering a fossil is a real draw. At each of thesesites initiatives have developed independently inresponse to the interest that geology has generatedover several generations of tourists. However, virtuallythe entire Dorset coast contains a superb range ofgeological interest and this is reflected in the proposal

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for World Heritage Site status for the Dorset and EastDevon coast.

One other special holiday group are those visiting thecoast for recreational purposes. The Dorset coast isimportant for a range of activities including sub aquadiving, sailing, climbing, walking and bathing. Thissector is covered further in the Recreation topic paper

Tourism and the Environment

Much of the Dorset tourism industry relies on thequality of the coast and its good management togenerate income. One of the ironies is that no directlink currently exists between the tourism industry andthe coastal managers - who do not see themselves ashaving a stake in the tourism industry, this could beseen as one of the structural weaknesses in Dorset'stourism economy.

Some form of co-ordination could be mutuallybeneficial to the coastal managers and the tourismoperators. Potentially the operators have a greaterknowledge of tourism activity and requirements alongthe coast, and therefore could be in a position to aidwith the management ideas and proposals which couldbenefit tourism. Much of the maintenance andmanagement along the coast, at present, is carried outon a voluntary management basis - the tourist industrycould be a viable source of funding to help conserveand sustain the resource in the long term.

The Dorset Tourism Strategy

Several years ago it was recognised that a morestrategic approach was necessary in order toeffectively manage tourism in the county. Attemptshave been made to bring all sectors of the industrytogether to be represented under one group, in orderto avoid a piecemeal approach to tourism in thecounty. The latest and most successful initiative todate is the 'Dorset Area Tourism Group’ whichcomprises the Tourism Industry Consultative Forumand the Joint Tourism Marketing Executive Panel,consisting of industry reps and local governmentofficers respectively. These groups oversee othertourism initiatives, such as marketing (language schoolscheme - see the Education topic paper), businessadvice, research and IT and booking services. Atpresent the group are in the process of reviewing theirexisting Dorset tourism strategy, which focuses on:

• The attraction of more visitors by strengtheningthe images and awareness of Dorset;

• Improving the ease of booking for the area;• Improving the quality of the tourism product.

Any action by the Dorset Coast Forum needs to beclosely integrated with these initiatives to avoidduplication. The focus of the DCF Coastal Strategy isprimarily on the integration of tourism with otherinterests, although the need for representation of aspecifically coastal voice for tourism interests could beconsidered. Action also needs to be integrated withregard to marketing. The Forum has a potential rolein relation to the bid for World Heritage status whichcould provide a means to promote sustainabletourism, in the context of a management plan, andagreement about how the World Heritage label wouldbe used for marketing.

Marketing the Coast

There are several methods currently used in order toeffectively market the area as a tourist destinationwhich include the following:

• Marketing of specific groups, by specialist panels,such as the domestic marketing and the overseasmarketing groups

• More specific marketing projects, such as theoverseas market, language schools, interestholidays/visits and the Thomas Hardy Group.

• Each of the resort areas issue their own brochuresto travel agents across the UK as well sadvertising in popular magazines and daily papers.

• Increasingly UK destinations are being advertisedon the Internet.

• Visitors from previous years are sent informationon accommodation booking and events.

• Marketing by specific companies such as Condorand Ryan air.

• Special events such as The Weymouth Tall ShipsRace and the Poole Powerboat Championship

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Integrating Tourism withinDorset’s Coastal Zone

Tourism affects many activities within the CoastalZone. The potential impacts of tourism on certainactivities in the coastal zone are as follows:

� ArchaeologySome archaeological sites attract visitors, and there ispotential for more sites to be developed. Underwaterarchaeological sites are unlikely to be heavily visited,except by recreational divers, although finds fromthese sites can be attractions at museums and visitorcentres.

� Coastal DefenceCoastal defence schemes are sometimes undertaken inorder to retain visitor beaches and amenities. In someareas new defence works can and have enhancedamenity value, e.g, Lyme Regis.

� Educational UseAs several coastal features in Dorset appear in examsyllabuses, this may encourage families and schools tovisit the coast. There are many visitor centres alongthe coast which help to increase visitor knowledge ofthe area and its features.

� FishingThe local fishing fleet provides both fish and shellfishto visitors. Many fishing boats also supplement theirincome by taking visitors out on sea fishing trips.

� Geology and GeomorphologyIn certain areas, such as at Charmouth andKimmeridge a high proportion of visitors areinterested in collecting fossils and finding our moreabout the geology of the coast.

� Landscape & SeascapeThe landscape and seascape are one of the mainvisitor attractions In Dorset. However the number ofvisitors can have an impact and trampling and erosionare common issues.

� Marine AggregatesMarine aggregates can be used for beachreplenishment schemes, which add amenity value to anarea.

� Maritime IndustriesThe maritime industry provides craft and equipmentfor recreational use. The industry also providesmarinas moorings and associated facilities for visitingboats.

� Military ActivityThere are several walks across the Lulworth ranges,which are opened to the public throughout most ofthe summer and on additional weekends throughoutthe year. Tyneham village, which was used for militarypurposes, is now open to the public as a touristattraction.

� Oil & GasNo major interactions

� Pollution & Environmental QualityResearch by the Dorset beach clean team estimatethat approximately 35% of litter on the county'sbeaches is left by tourists. In the peak months, airquality in some of the smaller towns decreases due totraffic pollution.

� Ports & ShippingWith two or possibly three of Dorset's ports havingferry links into the county, they are a gateway for alarge number of tourists both into and out of the UK.Several of the ports/harbours also run boat trips outto see the coast from the sea.

� RecreationMany visitors come to the coast in order to undertakea range of recreational activities.

� Wildl i feDorset's coastal wildlife is a major attraction forvisitors. Deliberate disturbance or harassment is rarebut the sheer weight of visitor numbers can have asignificant impact if not properly managed.

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Policy Directions for Tourism onthe Dorset Coast

The following policy questions about the future ofcoastal recreation in Dorset are posed for discussion:

1. How can we increase out of seasonspecial interest holidays

• Do we want to encourage more visitors out ofseason?

• What are the specialist subjects that Dorset couldoffer?

• Is this niche being effectively marketed?• How do we find the market for these holidays?• Could we integrate special interest visitors into

the existing tourist infrastructure?• Would the seasonal closure of attractions

jeopardise this move?• Could the resorts provide more out of season

entertainment to attract visitors?

2. Could visitor income be increasedwithout increasing numbers?

• Can we do more to encourage and increaseovernight stays, in the area?

• Similarly can we increase the number of foreignvisitors to the county?

• Would World Heritage status attract higher valuetourists to Dorset's coastal zone?

3. Are we maximising the enjoyment ofthe visitors' stay along the Dorsetcoast?

• Have we a wide enough range of attractions?• Have we sufficient facilities on the county's

beaches?• Do we meet the standards expected by today's

sophisticated visitors?• How many of our visitors regularly return?

4. How can we encourage the use ofsustainable transport along the coast?

• Can Dorset sustain a reliable public transportservice?

• Can similar schemes to those mentioned in thispaper be encouraged along other parts of thecoast?

• Should we use parking charges to manager visitorcar use?

• Could local bus services be better utilised?• Can more use be made of boat transport?

5. The coastal environment is likely tocontinue to attract more visitors - isthis sustainable?

• Do we really know how much environmentaldamage tourists inflict?

• Would more integrated management allow forbetter dispersal of visitors along the coast?

• Is it better to focus visitors on the resorts andhoney pot sites and away from the more sensitiveareas?

• How can better integration between tourism andcountryside management be achieved?

• Is there any way that some of the profits fromenvironmental tourism could be fed back into theresource? Would this be statutory or voluntary?

6. Should we be positively be looking toenhance our coastal environment?

• Do coastal engineers place a high enough priorityon amenity value in coast and sea defence work?

• Can caravan site owners be encouraged to domore to integrate their sites with the landscape?

• Could we improve the look of some of our coastaltowns?

• Are there sufficient disposal facilities along thecoastline and on the county's beaches?