This is ideal territory for us – working with special places and landscapes. So, we have been working with the community of Holy Island on approaches for a sustainable and regenerative visitor economy. This means balancing the perspectives of a small living and working island, the desire to provide a world class experience for this iconic visitor destination of regional and international significance, while at the same time preserving the essence and uniqueness of the island. The size of the island and its access via a three-mile-long causeway cut off from the mainland twice a-day by the tide creates particular challenges and pressures in managing visitors to the village, and its attractions the Priory, the Castle, the Gertrude Jekyll walled garden . Not to mention environmental and wildlife considerations – Holy Island is part of the Northumberland National Landscape.
The project involves a major piece of visitor research into who is coming and why (via our research partners Bluegrass), analysis of the numbers visiting and when they come (via mobile data), consultation with residents and businesses and careful thought around how to improve the experience for visitors and the community while protecting all that is special about the place and its history.
The Sustainable Visitor Management Strategy and Implementation Plan will be delivered in Spring 2025.
Our work follows the 2050 Vision developed by the community in 2022 setting out its ambitions and priorities for the future. It is funded through the Rural Asset Multiplier Pilot programme supported by the UK government and the North East Combined Authority.