Rural Diversification

In the Lake District, there are a number of ways in which farm diversification has taken place. For example, as the income that farmers receive has decreased, they have to creative new ways to make money. On way of doing this is when their sheep are clipped, although their fleece is poor quality and colour, they can sell it for loft insulation or carpets. Also, the Lake District has become a popular tourist destination and as a result of this, lots of farm diversification has taken place, such as gift shops such as ‘Kirk Allan’s gifts’ and ‘Grasemere Crafts’ in Ambleside. Lots of B&B’s have been created, such as ‘Amber Grove’ and ‘Hillsdale’, and farm parks have been set up too, like ‘Low Sizergh Barn’. Tourism:

There is a lot of tourism in the Lake District, and companies have been set up to take advantage of this, such as YHA Ambleside, which plans and leads a range of activity breaks. The activities that they have on offer are log, scenic walks, mountain and rock climbing, mountain biking, and a variety of water sports to do on the lakes. These were all set up as a result of tourism to the area. Internet:

Nowadays, lots of companies are using the internet to help further promote their services and to run their businesses. For example, many tourist based activities allow users to book activities online, such as ‘Adventure21’, another tourist activity company. Also, there is a similar idea with cottages and B&B’s, where the internet is being used for people to book accommodation. Advantages of TourismDisadvantages of tourism

-Trade for local shops-Road congestion in the neighbourhood

-Jobs for local people-Lack of parking spaces causes drivers to park in meadows -Spare buildings can be converted into accommodation-There may be problems with overuse of footpaths leading to soil erosion -A good source of income as visitors spend money-Jobs do not tend to be year round and the wages are fairly low -Increase in local produce and crafts, e.g. local meat -Litter and pollution in the area

Rural diversification can solve some of the problem the countryside face. For example, the problem of the disappearance of rural services, as more buses and health services are needed as tourism increases, so would also provide more services for the elderly. The same also applies for the problem of a lack of transport infrastructure, as the transport systems would become more frequent and cheaper as demand increases. However, some of the problems cannot be solved by rural diversification, such as a lack of affordable homes, as more people would want to move to the countryside. This would push housing prices up, and making them even more expensive as people buy second homes, which excludes people that cannot afford to live here. Also, rural diversification will not solve the problems of changing rural economy, as the economy will become more dependent on tourism, which would only provide jobs that are seasonal and that are low paid.