UK Boating Tourism.

The UK has a very long established and extremely varied Boating Tourism Sector.

Canal Tourism:

The canal network was nationalised alongside railways and ports in 1948.

Although some canals were in desperate need of repair and it was suggested that others should be closed completely, no legislation was passed so nothing happened.

However, enthusiasts still used the canals for holidays and leisure, and private groups formed to do what they could to restore stretches of waterways. The first hire boat fleets were started by pioneers in the 1950’s, using converted old working boats and small cruisers and they gradually grew in popularity.

It wasn’t until the 1960s that the economic importance of canals to the leisure industry was realised, with the Transport Act of 1968 providing vital public funding to the restoration projects that had been started by enthusiasts.

Canals are now mostly used for leisure rather than the industrial purpose they were constructed for. In some. urban areas in recent years there has been an increase in permanent live aboard boating for those seeking a quiet simpler lifestyle