Narrowboat passes moored boats in a residential stretch of canal, surrounded by blocks of flats.

Prosperous and connected places

Boating businesses and tourism on our canals and rivers are contributing £1.5 billion per year to the UK economy and support 80,000 jobs.

Supporting business, tourism, and living

We're connecting communities, servicing businesses, and contributing to the wider economy.

13.4

million people

serviced by telecommunications and water supply networks using our canals

of people

believe that canals help make our cities, towns and countryside better places to live

High-interest rates, continued economic uncertainty, and low productivity hold back growth – and this challenging outlook is a key concern in the UK.

Our canals and rivers significantly contribute to the UK's national and regional economies across different sectors. We're

enabling the government's plan to provide high-quality broadband connections for all
creating opportunities for waterside development and regeneration
supporting sustainable urban waterside living
hosting telecommunications and utilities
supporting boating-related tourism and the wider marine economy

Boating & the Visitor Economy

Our network enables businesses like marinas, boat manufacturers, hire boat companies, and watersport providers to run. Plus, our canals and rivers attract significant tourism – particularly boosting the food and drink sector, accommodation, and canal-side museums or shops.

Read the report

Find out more about our impact on the UK economy

Our 'stream in the sky' – Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Opened in 1805, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as ‘a masterpiece of creative genius’.

This iconic engineering structure is central to the visitor economy in North Wales, attracting 500,000 visitors from 52 different countries as well as a place for the local community.