Weekend breaks to cities such as York are proving popular

Figures from the United Kingdom Tourism Survey show there were 600,000 more trips to the region in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2002.

The Yorkshire Tourist Board and the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, have been co-operating in a marketing campaign with the theme "Britain's Biggest Break".

Following the campaign, spending by English visitors to Yorkshire and the Humber increased by 17.5%.

Campaign's success

The number of people taking weekend breaks to Yorkshire cities like Leeds or York, has gone up by 25%.

There has been a particular increase in the number of visitors from the south-east of England.

David Andrews, the chief executive of YTB, said the figures bear out their own impressions of the campaign's success.

"Businesses have been reporting a more buoyant market, especially from London and the South East," he added.

"The figures show our work is paying dividends for tourism businesses in Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire."