South Hams District Council was awarded Beacon Council status in Round 5 of the Beacon Scheme for the year 2004-2005

Tourism is a £76 billion industry in this country and can bring real economic and cultural benefits to a community: this investment and its impact need to be harnessed and managed in the most positive ways to support the needs of visitors, residents and the environment and local authorities have a major role in this delivery. Local authorities support the delivery of the tourism sector through supporting local businesses, delivering destination management of the area and working in partnership locally, regionally and nationally.

The following pages have been designed to give an insight into the reasons why South Hams District Council was selected as one of only six councils in this category. It covers some of the working principles and initiatives that the council has undertaken to successfully support the delivery of sustainable tourism in the South Hams