1. Objectives for Cornwall – a regional strategy To improve living conditions and wealth for people who live in Cornwall. To create sustainable communities To develop the economy in Cornwall as it has good potential for tourism etc.

2. Rural regeneration through tourism – The Eden Project, Cornwall

4. What is the Eden Project? The Eden Project is a sprawling structure built along the side of a deep pit. The structure comprises three biomes, areas designed to represent three distinct climates found around the world Long-term Goals The main goal of the Eden Project is to educate the public about the natural world. Specifically, Eden's creators want to expose visitors to the issue of sustainable development -- using natural resources conscientiously so they will continue to be available for human use in the future. The facility is intended to be an entertaining attraction to tourists, but the Eden team also wants to further environmental research and education.

5. Eden Effect Measuring the 'Eden Effect' One of the Project's original objectives was to contribute to the regeneration of an area of Britain in need of development, such as Cornwall. To measure the economic value it has brought to the region, Eden researchers carry out a yearly 'Economic Impact Study' of the extra employment, tourism and business confidence it has generated. Since its construction, the Studies have shown that the Eden Project has generated an extra £430 million for the Cornish economy - a trend dubbed the 'Eden effect'.

6. The Eden Project is …. one of the top-five pay-to-enter tourist sites in the country. Estimated that one in 5 tourists to Cornwall comes because of the Eden Project

7. Benefits of the Eden project Eden as an employer... The Eden Project's team currently stands at around 500 full-time staff. All were recruited locally, 75 per cent were previously unemployed 40 per cent are over 50 years in age. This does not include the staff employed by McAlpine JV, on the construction of the project.

8. Effects on local businesses Overall, 39% of businesses recorded a positive effect, rising to 70% of tourism related businesses in St Austell, but with lesser impacts in Plymouth and Exeter at around 15% of businesses. Of the different business sectors, travel and accommodation were the most positive with over half of businesses in these sectors indicating gains. In contrast, only around a quarter of operators in the leisure facilities sector recorded positive effects.

9. The proportion of people whose visit to the region was inspired by Eden were identified by visitor survey. Over three-quarters of Eden visitors are staying on holiday and 36% of them cited their main or sole reason for coming to the county as being to see Eden. The survey then identified how long they were staying, and in what type of accommodation. A night in a hotel is on average worth just over £60 in money spent locally…much of it on the room itself. At the other end of the scale are people who stay with their friends and relations - a big market in Cornwall - and they typically spend around £20 a day. Self-catering and B&B’s come in the middle of that range.

10. Negative effects Of course it is inevitable that there are some negative impacts as well as positive from Eden. In our survey some 18% of business respondents recorded a negative impact on their business compared to 39% recording positive effects. Negative impacts were concentrated in St Austell where 40% of businesses experienced such effects, compared to 9% in Penzance and only 1% in Exeter. The main negative effects identified in the response were: The worsening of traffic at 13% Increased difficulties of recruitment at 7% Reduction in customers at 2%

11. Sustainable transport The rail-bus link ‘the Eden Branch Line’ is a pioneering development for tourism projects of this kind. The bus functions in every respect as a railway branch, integrated into the rail timetable and with tickets purchasable from any railway outlet. It is the 7 th most effective rail-air link in the UK (compared to for example the Heathrow Rail air link). Eden also has bus links with the major urban centres around, such as Wadebridge and Bodmin and links to Bodmin Parkway rail station.

12. Benefits of the Eden project Eden says it made a conscious decision to source its supplies wherever possible from Cornish companies, be it food goods, plants, other retail items, and even its electricity provider. It buys from no less than 3,000 Cornish firms. in its first five years of opening it has contributed £500m – 700m to the Cornish economy.