Kendal Mountain Festival provided an economic boost to the Cumbrian town
Visitors to one of the UK’s leading outdoor events boosted the local economy by £2m, a survey found.
Kendal Mountain Festival attracted 14,000 visitors last November, most of whom were from outside the town.
The festival, which has been run for 16 years and has established itself as one of the main dates on the country’s outdoor calendar, was given the thumbs-up by visitors. 98 per cent of people were positive about the festival and future attendance when asked.
The event, which included an international film competition, screenings, exhibitions, workshops and a trail run, largely attracted visitors from outside Kendal – 60 per cent of attendees were from elsewhere.
Most visitors were positive about the festival
Thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, artists, photographers, adventurers, explorers and inspirational speakers gather every year to share adventures and celebrate the best in outdoor and adventure-sports culture.
The independent research took place during the weekend of the 2015 event, from 17- 20 November. It calculated that for every £1 spent by organisers of the event, visitors spent £6.40 in local shops, restaurants and hotels.
Expenditure for the Kendal Mountain Festival was estimated at £318,500.
The survey, conducted in more than 300 face to face interviews at the festival, found the festival directly benefited the town centre economy, with 80 per cent of visitors having a meal or a drink and 23 per cent going shopping. Staying visitors from outside Cumbria spent more than £150 per person on average over the course of the festival weekend.
Kendal Mountain Events director Steve Scott, Director said: “We’re delighted at the findings in the economic report commissioned by South Lakeland District Council.
“This reinforces the value of the event to the town and region and the fact we are attracting more visitors from around the UK and overseas is great news to us.
“As an organisation we continue to grow and take ‘brand Kendal’ around the world. There are many exiting new developments for 2016 which we are all working hard to develop. Long may this growth continue.”
The festival is centred on the Brewery Arts Centre
Matt Williams, from Invest in South Lakeland, the South Lakeland District Council-run programme which encourages business growth and investment said: “Delivering these kinds of high-quality events is a great opportunity to showcase the very best of what the area has to offer.
“Festivals also give a huge boost to the local economy and our town centres. The return on investment is substantial and visitors have such a good time they are very likely to come back again.”
