Two bed and breakfast establishments in England have become the first to be officially accredited by VisitBritain as offering a warm welcome to walkers and cyclists, it was announced today.

The new UK wide scheme, which was developed with expert advice and support from the Countryside Agency and the Youth Hostels Association, will give walkers and cyclists the confidence that they are booking quality accommodation that meets their particular needs.

Participation in the programme is currently open to all serviced accommodation and hostels participating in the VisitBritain Quality Assurance Standards.

Produced by VisitBritain and the tourist boards for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the initiatives are endorsed by Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Tourism. Walkers Welcome and Cyclists Welcome are further supported by Sustrans – the sustainable transport charity – and the regional tourist boards. Simple common criteria for each scheme have been introduced along with several activity specific requirements. The aim is to keep them simple, to encourage take up from all types and sizes of accommodation operations, thereby improving choice of accommodation for walkers and cyclists.

Cycling and rambling are an increasingly popular way of taking a holiday in the UK. British visitors took an estimated 26 million walking and cycling trips in England in 2002 alone. VisitBritain has launched a “Get Active” website, with a section on Walking and on Cycling, to promote domestic rambling and biking trips to help encourage more people to think of taking this type of holiday.

Chandlers Hotel in Weymouth and Brook House in Bedford are the first two establishments to be awarded both the Cyclists Welcome and Walkers Welcome accreditation. Both establishments have secure areas where cyclists can store their bikes and facilities to dry outdoor clothing and footwear. Packed lunches are available for walkers and cyclists to enable them to enjoy the outdoors for longer during their holiday.

Alison Barham, Quality Manager for VisitBritain, commented:

“The Cyclist and Walkers Welcome scheme will improve choice and give people the confidence that they will be welcomed when staying at accredited accommodation.

“With walking and cycling holidays increasingly becoming the most popular ways of enjoying a domestic holiday, we hope that this new scheme will encourage more people to enjoy a holiday in the great outdoors.

“We have launched the Walkers Welcome and Cyclists Welcome programme to serviced accommodation in the first instance, but we intend to launch it to other types of accommodation as soon as we can. We expect that many more establishments will join the scheme in the months to come which has got to be excellent news for the consumer.”