A region of contrasts

摘要

For many people, the South West conjures up images of idyllic seaside locations, rural retreats and an altogether slower pace of life. It's true that this vast region's stunning coastline and countryside make it one of the UK's most popular visitor destinations and tourism is worth £6bn a year. But the South West is an area of contrasts where both traditional industries and cutting edge sectors are thriving to create a regional economy worth around £200bn a year. It has more coastline than any other region - 700 miles stretching from Poole to the Severn Estuary -so perhaps it's no surprise that its ports are a major part of the economy and contribute £ 16.4bn a year. To the north of the region in Cheltenham is the focal point of the largest concentration of cyber security activities in Europe. Cyber Park is not only the home of GCHQ's headquarters but also a growing number of organisations that form Cheltenham's cyber cluster.