One of the strengths of the Charter area the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is its facilities for walkers. The protected area has an excellent network of long distance walking routes, a plethora of short walks information and a growing number of towns and villages accredited with the "Walkers are Welcome" award.

The first town to receive this award was Winchcombe. Winchcombe is an attractive town (population approx 6,000) with several long distance paths and a National Trail passing through it. It is a 'working' town with many local services and approximately 50 shops, but many are under threat due to the close proximity of the city of Cheltenham with supermarkets and major high street brands.

In 2009 a local resident worried by the growing number of empty shops, approached the Town Council and suggested that Winchcombe should apply for "Walkers are Welcome" status to encourage visitors to the town. This received unanimous support and Winchcombe became the 28th town to be awarded Walkers are Welcome status, in July 2009. Walkers are Welcome is a national grassroots organisation representing today a network of over 70 towns and villages. Its main aims are to attract more walkers to the area and help local businesses.

Being part of the network enables us to talk with other towns, share information and discuss new ideas. A steering group comprising of local businesses, voluntary wardens, ramblers and councillors has been working hard to gain the recognition Winchcombe deserves as a first class walker's destination. The group works closely with the Town and Borough Councils, the Cotswolds Conservation Board and numerous local groups to deliver a broad range of benefits.

One of the group's first priorities was to create a website, www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com, to promote walking in the area to visitors. The site has suggested walks with descriptions, places to visit, where to shop and eat plus an accommodation listing service. There is useful information on local services with links to other websites for further information. The group also created and manage an annual 3-day walking festival with half and full day walks plus evening social events. We worked with the Ramblers Association, voluntary wardens, "Friends of Winchcombe" and the Cotswold Way National Trail team, creating a diverse festival and this proves very popular and won a tourism award in 2010. Furthermore, a new 42-mile (68 km) trail called the Winchcombe Way is a new addition to the walking network. We asked a national walking magazine editor to launch the trail, which proved a very effective way of getting cheap publicity.

Sales of the guidebook have exceeded all expectations. The steering group has marketed Winchcombe as a base for walkers in all our communications and on our website, as "Winchcombe the walking capital of the Cotswolds". This has worked to our advantage with leading guidebook publishers picking up on this. A distinct increase in visitor numbers, especially walkers, has been seen during 2010 and 2011. New shops are now opening and several businesses are advertising their services with "Walkers are Welcome". Winchcombe is striving to develop its identity as a "Walkers are Welcome" town, to attract more visitors and inject money into the local economy.

Winchcombe is now viewed as a 'living town' and an alternative to the manicured tourist hotspots in the Cotswolds. Over the next year our efforts will focus on attracting more accommodation providers in the town and applying pressure for a Sunday bus service. With all previously empty shops now re-opened with new businesses and a greater sense of optimism and pride in the town, the Winchcombe story is a great example of community, businesses, local authorities and volunteers working together to promote tourism in a sustainable way.

For more information contact Nicola Greaves at nicola.greaves@cotswoldsaonb.org.uk