Report - Section 4.12

4.12   Key findings/issues

• Tourism is important in the South East and activity holidays are growing, including riding, across the country.
• Riding holidays and day trips from outside the local area represent a major source of potential income for the equine industry, and a potential growth sector for regional tourism.
• Riding is still a niche product but 2% of holidays involve horse-riding as an activity undertaken during the holiday and the value of these holidays is considerably higher than the average.
• Areas for riding holidays are selected on the basis of their route infrastructure, terrain, path surface and accommodation. The forecast use of major new bridle routes (Pennine Way) is significant. Opportunities are limited in East Sussex at present largely because of the poor infrastructure and the area is not promoted for equestrian tourism.
• In order to offer a competitive product that will attract bridle riders to the High Weald area, it will be essential to secure a network or networks of safe off-road riding that is unlikely to be subject to change at short notice.
• Given the amount of woodland and farmland in the county, and especially in the Leaderplus area, there is a large, untapped source of potential access. However, it requires considerable collaboration with private and public individuals and agencies to open it up, especially because of the small size of landholdings.
• Similarly, there is an established farm-based B&B industry in the South East and in East Sussex in particular and there is a growing intention by farmers to diversify into equestrian tourism and an interest in short-break holidays with horses. However, until there is a larger network of routes available demand is likely to be small in scale.
• Without the opening of strategic routes, marketing is premature.