Drive sparks North tourism boom

Tourism chiefs in the North East of England say a drive to focus on the industry has been paying off.

Latest figures from VisitEngland showed the North East was the only area other than London to see an increase in visits during 2008.

Trips by UK residents rose from 3.64m in 2007 to 4.02m in 2008, a 10% rise.

Geoff Hodgson, chairman of the North East Tourism Advisory Board, said it was down to a five-year drive to make tourism a priority.

He said: "We are absolutely delighted. What's happened in the North East is that five years ago we decided to get serious about tourism."

New museums

He said one reason could not be singled out and it was a combination of different elements.

He estimated about £350m had been spent on tourism infrastructure in that time.

A number of new museums have been opened including the Great North Museum, in Newcastle, and the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and there has been a lot of investment in County Durham's Bowes Museum.

VisitEngland's annual report found Newcastle was the ninth most visited town or city by UK visitors in 2008, with a 22% increase in overnight visits.

Regional development agency One North East said tourism is worth almost £4bn to the region's economy and employs more than 60,000 people.