Lake District visitor numbers drop to 18 million in 2022

There was a rise in younger visitors and those from ethnic minorities, a report says

Fewer people visited the Lake District last year compared with before the pandemic, a report has found.

Just over 18 million people visited the area in 2022, a drop of 1.75 million from 2019's figures, according to the State of the Park report.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) said tourism had been "significantly affected", primarily as a result of the pandemic.

There was a rise in younger visitors and those from ethnic minorities.

There were 19.89 million people who visited the area in 2019.

The last time the report was published was in 2018, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proportion of visitors aged between 16 and 34 grew by 6%

A spokesperson for the national park authority called the report one of the "critical documents" in helping to understand if it was achieving its vision and fulfilling its statutory purposes.

But a number of positives have also emerged.

The proportion of visitors aged between 16 and 34 increased by 6%.

Meanwhile visitors from minority ethnic communities increased to 22% in the Lake District and 16% across Cumbria, representing a 14% increase, the report said.

"As restrictions lifted a new audience of visitors discovered the Lake District and the latest data shows they continue to enjoy the Lake District," the spokesperson added.