Drive To Unlock Tourism Potential Of North West Heritage

A drive to unlock the tourism potential of the North West’s heritage has stepped up a gear with a groundbreaking new appointment.

Andrew Backhouse has been appointed to the newly created role of heritage tourism executive at Culture Northwest, the body responsible for developing the region’s culture, heritage, tourist and sporting assets.

The position – funded by English Heritage and the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) in partnership with the Historic Houses Association and the National Trust – is thought to be the first of its kind in the country. It will see the 47-year-old from Styal in Cheshire work with local tourist boards to make the region’s historic attractions more appealing to visitors, including flagship heritage sites such as Hadrian’s Wall.

The North West’s culture and heritage is seen as vital to its economic prospects – heritage tourism alone could be worth as much as £3billion to the region every year. Historic sites are a big draw for visitors. Recent research reveals that 69 per cent of adults visit at least one historic site each year with almost one in five making a trip every month.

Andrew said: “If you live in the North West it is easy to take your heritage for granted. This region is not only a very beautiful place but also an area which helped shape the world. The Roman city of Chester and the frontier of Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria, the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire, the industrial revolution in Manchester, the rich maritime history of Liverpool – these are all things that make the North West such a historically important region.

“My job is to help people realise the potential of these rich and varied heritage assets and get as many people as possible excited about what the North West has to offer. There’s some good work already going on, but plenty still to do to make the most of our history.”

As well as working with heritage attractions in the North West Andrew will also be responsible for administering the Heritage Tourism Improvement scheme, which provides grants of up to £30,000 for the owners of historic houses, gardens and buildings to improve their tourist facilities, such as car parks, educational activities, disabled access and toilets.

He will also be working with the wider tourism sector to raise the profile of heritage as a visitor attraction.

The regional director of English Heritage, Henry Owen John, said: “Heritage has a huge contribution to make to tourism – a fact that is perhaps not yet fully appreciated. Andrew’s appointment is significant because it is the first time we have grabbed hold of the opportunity as a region. Andrew will be doing a lot of work to build links between the heritage and tourism sectors to make the most of the outstanding historic character of the North West in growing the tourist economy.”

James Berresford, the director of tourism at the NWDA, which provides funding for Culture Northwest, said: “The tourism potential locked in our rich and varied heritage here in the North West is enormous. Our Roman and industrial heritage are two of the region’s defining characteristics and Andrew’s role will strengthen this reputation and help maximise their potential. Ultimately by delivering a higher quality, more coherent heritage tourism product we will encourage more people to visit the region.”

Libby Raper, chief executive of Culture Northwest, added: “Our heritage is one of the cornerstones of our culture and tourism offering. At Culture Northwest, we are excited to be working with English Heritage and the Northwest Regional Development Agency and appointing Andrew in this innovative partnership post which will drive forward the opportunities for heritage tourism in the region.”

Andrew’s last job was as the National Trust manager of the successful Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate visitor attraction in Cheshire. Born in Herefordshire, he came to Manchester in 1976 as a geography and industrial archaeology undergraduate. In 1981 he completed an MBA at Manchester Business School and has since held a variety of teaching and management jobs.