The iPhone app. Photo: Stewart Smith
Tourism bosses have introduced a ‘fresh air’ app for iPhones to encourage visitors to the Lake District to get out of their cars.
The smartphone software application lists more than 20 itineraries for a car-free day out in the area.
The app is part of a campaign to bring about a culture shift to get people on to bikes, boats, boots and buses in the national park.
It is included in the £6.9m pilot scheme GoLakes Travel, a joint venture between Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria Tourism and Nurture Lakeland.
A spokesperson said new measures are being rolled out to help reduce car journeys and motivate the public to reconnect with the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside in the National Park. If successful, the scheme could be rolled out to other tourism hotspots UK-wide.
A Drive Less See More festival on 22 July aimed at summer visitors takes place in Staveley, followed by a week of events in Bowness, Windermere, Coniston, Ambleside and Hawkshead, to demonstrate sustainable travel options available to visitors.
Figures revealed 92 per cent of all visitors to the Lake District use their cars. The Lake District national park attracts 16 million annual visitors to an area with more than 200 mountains and 16 lakes but which is just 32 miles wide and 40 miles long.
The See More Lake District: Explore app has photographs and provides ideas for a car-free day with comprehensive accompanying information, to help visitors make the most of their trip.
The app points out attractions, points of information, practical help on how to get around, links to websites and telephone numbers.
The spokesperson said one of the most popular features is likely to be its text search facility which allows users to search for the key things they want to see in their day out, generating results when words such as Wordsworth are keyed in, which can help people plan where they go next and provide pointers on how to get there.
It also uses geo-location technology to show itineraries that are near to the user, making it easier to find something to do close by without having to jump in the car.
Tim Knowles, transport and environment portfolio holder for Cumbria County Council, said: “There has been an appetite for this kind of information in the past and now we have the means to provide it in a simple app.”
Sophie Cade, sustainable development officer with Nurture Lakeland, said: “The idea behind this work was simply to help visitors find the information they need to leave their car behind for the day and get out there exploring the Lake District in new ways.”
Claire Maclaine, GoLakes Travel programme manager, said: “This app is a great way for us to show visitors to the Lake District that there are plenty of fantastic activities on their doorstep wherever they are staying.
“We hope this will show people that they really don’t need to use their car after they have arrived in the Lakes and by driving less they really will have greater opportunities to see more of this wonderful landscape.”
The app is currently available free on the iPhone apps store and plans are afoot to bring out an Android version in the near future.
