ABSTRACT
The countryside has a long history of receiving tourists but its significance has become increasingly important in recent times (Butler, Hall and Jenkins 1997; Page and Getz, 1997; Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997). According to the English Countryside Agency, in 1998, 1253 million day visits were made to the English countryside involving 66 per cent of the English population with several national parks recording over 20 million visitors a year. It is estimated that rural tourism contributes about £12 billion to local rural economies in the UK, its overall economic importance being especially highlighted, ironically, by the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis (ETC, 2001; Sharpley and Craven, 2001). Furthermore, its significance for local employment has been illustrated by Leslie (2001) who estimated that half the Lake District National Park's population (approximately 42 000) is directly supported by tourism.
