The Cultural Economy of Landscape and Prospects for Peripheral Development in the Twenty-first Century: The Case of the English Lake District

A brief characterization of the cultural economy of landscape is provided, with special reference to the English Lake District. The early growth of tourism in the Lake District in relation to its natural, literary and artistic assets is described. I examine the cultural economy of landscape in relation to three critical social groups, namely, local producers of goods and services, residents and visitors/tourists. I then offer a detailed account of the main elements of the Lake District's cultural economy and the tourist experience today. Attention is devoted to (a) the natural environment and its attractions, (b) the historical-artistic patrimony of the region and (c) the growing importance of food production, cuisine and crafts within the regional economy. I show how these elements of the cultural economy combine with a complex institutional milieu to generate a path-dependent trajectory of development. In the conclusion, I present a few remarks on the concept of creative regions and the senses in which peripheral areas like the Lake District might and might not be analysed in terms of this concept.