The Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate area is the sixth location in the UK to receive the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas award.

The charter was awarded by the EUROPARC Federation, otherwise known as the Federation of Nature and National Parks of Europe, to the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership (TP) for supporting sustainable tourism in its conservation areas

The award, which has been distributed to currently 48 regions in Europe, will enable protected areas in the Yorkshire Dales – the National Park and the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – to have their profile raised nationally and across Europe, and to form new links with tourism organisations and businesses at local, regional and national level.

Andy Tordoff, head of rural renaissance and tourism at Yorkshire Forward – the region's development agency, said: "The EUROPARC award will help to secure a stronger future for tourism businesses in the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership area. It will provide additional marketing opportunities for businesses and make a positive contribution on this high-quality destination and the wider rural economy in the region."

The federation in particular praised the National Park Authority for its work on footpaths, 'green lanes' and bridleways. This work continues and recent developments this month resulted in the closure of eight 'green lane' routes in the National Park to recreational motor vehicles.

Since the 1 October 2007, national park authorities have the power to impose Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) themselves, and this is the first time that the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has implemented it. The authority will review the TROs in five years time, though in the mean time motorcyclists riding on bridleways and those that drive 4x4 vehicles on TROs will be prosecuted.

EUROPARC is a German-based, non-governmental, firm which brings together organisations responsible for over 400 protected areas across the continent and promotes sustainable management of conservation areas in Europe.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority applied for the charter on behalf of TP, which consists of Craven District Council, Richmondshire District Council, South Lakeland/Eden District Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Hambleton District Council, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and the Yorkshire Tourist Board

Partnership chairman Steve Macare said: "Although the application only took six months, in real terms it's the recognition of many years of joint working by local authority and other partners on tourism matters since the mid-1980s."