An employment multiplier calculating full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs from tourism expenditure in Devon's rural areas was established by the Cambridge Economic Model. This calculates that one FTE job is created for each £36,200 of visitor expenditure. Thus from an additional £17.4 million of tourist expenditure brought about by the Tarka Project, 481 FTE jobs equivalent would have been created.

The Tarka Trail
The establishment of the cycleway has led to seven cycle hire businesses setting up along the route which has created new jobs. Pubs and other businesses along its length have also seen significant increases in their business. Surveys undertaken on the whole Trail in 1994 and 1995 allowed numbers of cyclists and walkers to be calculated. Between August 1995 and September 1996, it is calculated that 150,000 cycle journeys were made on the Cycle/walkway section of the Trail.

It is estimated that in total 483,000 people (walkers and cyclists) use the Trail each year. 59% of these are tourists to the area and their expenditure will have been accounted for by the estimates from annual tourist nights above. The remaining users are day visitors from outside the local area (24%) and locals (17%). Expenditure by these last two groups amounts to £1.2 million, additional to that spent by tourists, and would result in a further 35 FTE jobs

Conclusion
The importance of the Tarka Project to the economy of north Devon has been shown to be significant. It has brought an additional 488,000 tourist nights to the area, generated £18.6 million of expenditure and created over 500 jobs directly. Moreover, much of the increase in tourist nights in the area took place in the rural hinterland of Tarka Country, the area that is the focus of the Project's activities, rather than along the coast. Thus the job creation that has resulted has also occurred in the area of declining agricultural employment and incomes where diversification of the economy is most needed.

In summary, the following successes of the Tarka Project can be identified:

• The area was given a strong new identity and focus upon which a sustainable economic recovery has been based.
• The area is now a focal point for walking and cycling and other activity-based tourism.
• The setting up of a sustainability focused tourism association which directly supports over 750 jobs is a lasting legacy of the Project.
• The economic benefits have been spread over a wide cross-section of the local community, and not restricted to big operators or corporate businesses.
• The tourism season has been expanded at both ends into the shoulder periods as more visitors come at these times to enjoy the activities.
• The Project has been a focus for local produce and crafts helping to lift their profile and profitability, thus also retaining visitor spend within the community.

In conclusion the Project has been able to act as a catalyst in the regeneration of the economy of an area in economic decline and giving it a sustainable future. This has been achieved from a project which has only cost, on average, around £70,000 per annum over the 10 years of it's life; approximately £700,000 in total. The fruits of its work brings the area benefits in the form of an on-going income to the local economy in excess of £18 million each year.