THE Kennet and Avon Canal brings £26m a year into the local economy and provides jobs for 1,000 people, new research published today reveals.
The Economic Impact of the Restoration of the Kennet and Avon Canal shows the Reading to Bath route to be at the heart of a thriving tourism and leisure scene.
The report, published by British Waterways, reveals how since 1995 £350m has been invested in 23 commercial developments along the re-opened canal.
Up to 80 per cent of tourism and leisure related businesses have reported an increased turnover in the last three years with 46 per cent also reporting an increase in staff.
Among the businesses now thriving are Sally Boats at Bradford on Avon and the Old Manor Hotel in Trowbridge.
British Waterways regeneration manager Andrew Stumpf said: "This new report shows that canals not only provide rich wildlife, heritage and leisure benefits, but they are proven catalysts for rural and urban regeneration.
"Together with our partners, we're now working to restore the 36 miles of Cotswold Canals which will once again link the rivers Thames and Severn.
"Recent research predicts similar benefits from the revitalisation of these historic waterways, including generating £6.8m a year for the local economy and creating 200 permanent new jobs in tourism alone."
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