As World Car Free Day approaches on September 22, Cumbria Tourism is pressing ahead with the fourth phase of its award winning ‘Go Car Free campaign’ - again teaming up with Avanti West Coast and Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire.


Featuring a mix of PR and marketing the campaign has already proved a huge success with an overall audience reach of almost 100 million in the last 12 months.

It also scooped the ‘Oscar for Digital Marketing Mastery’ at last week’s Simpleview at the EMEA Summit Client Awards 2024. 
As the campaign moves into the latest phase, it will feature digital advertising and e-marketing alongside dedicated PR and social media influencer activity.

Several high-profile influencers are visiting throughout the month to highlight car free travel, while more are planned as winter approaches.
The online portal on Cumbria Tourism’s visitor facing website www.visitlakedistrict.com also features itineraries with plenty of things to see and do that are easily accessible from public transport routes.
Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism said: “The Go Car Free Campaign promotes travel via the mainline train networks which connect Cumbria to towns and cities the length and breadth of Britain. Once in county there are lots of ways for visitors to get around via bus, boat, tour or bike and that’s why we’re working so hard to promote these options.
“Not only is the campaign encouraging visitors to use alternative modes of transport, it has a focus towards ‘active travel’, encouraging walking or use of bikes. Cumbria has seen an ever-growing number of cycle hire businesses offering both pedal and e-bikes and these companies are playing their part in encouraging sustainable travel by offering bike hire direct from train stations, with luggage transportation and even discounts for those arriving by train or bus.”
The campaign has also focused on the links between affordability and sustainability, with Stagecoach’s £2 single route bus fares continuing until the end of 2024.

Numerous attractions are also getting on board by offering discounts of up to 20 per cent for people who leave the car at home and arrive by bike, bus, boat or train.  
The overall goal is to see up to 20 per cent of visitors to the county arrive by sustainable means by 2030.

The campaign is not just aimed at visitors but locals too. The plan is to grow sustainable travel options within the county to 40 per cent by 2030.
Gill added: “It’s important as locals that we play our part too. We recently installed EV charging points at our head office in Staveley, which are available for anyone to use on a pay as you go basis. Our all-electric pool vehicle was supplied by Lloyd Motor Group in a partnership to support Cumbria’s move towards a more environmentally friendly future."
Cumbria Tourism’s dedicated visitor facing car free online portal can be found at www.visitlakedistrict.com/carfree.