Tourism businesses across Yorkshire are reaping the benefits of the French connection.
The county has seen a surge in visitors over the last 12 months thanks to Yorkshire hosting the Grand Départ of the Tour de France just a year ago.
Massive crowds thronged the streets of Huddersfield, Calderdale and other parts of Yorkshire for the massive event and there was global TV coverage which captured the White Rose county at its best.
Now fresh figures from Visit England show visitor spend is up by 45% since last June, while businesses report Yorkshire’s Grand Départ has prompted an big increase in bookings over the last 12 months.
The good news comes as Welcome to Yorkshire prepares for the Great Yorkshire Show this week with celebrity appearances from the Calendar Girls, Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley (Cain Dingle) and Dominic Brunt (Paddy Kirk) and Leeds featherweight boxing champion Josh Warrington.
They will be celebrating another terrific year for the county which also hosted the first – and hugely successful – Tour de Yorkshire. That race again drew large crowds out on to the streets of Huddersfield and other towns back in May.
Latest figures show visitors to Yorkshire are up by nearly a quarter and overnight visitors are up by 20% in the last 12 months, according to VisitEngland.
Businesses say Yorkshire’s Grand Depart in 2014 has prompted the increase.
Rental company holidaycottages.co.uk has seen a 120% increase in Yorkshire bookings in July 2015 compared to July 2014.
James Morris, managing director, holidaycottages.co.uk, said: “As one of the fastest growing areas in our portfolio, Yorkshire is a top destination for our holidaymakers.
“The boom in the area has a lot to thank the Grand Départ for; for showing the world what a stunning place Yorkshire is and how much is has to offer all types of holidaymakers.’’
Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see that the county and its businesses are reaping the rewards of Yorkshire’s Grand Depart.
“We knew that once we showcased Yorkshire to the world, we would inspire potential visitors to come and see this beautiful county for themselves. These fantastic statistics show just that and I have no doubt that Yorkshire businesses will continue to flourish and build on that success for many years to come”.
