Visitor numbers up as £4bn tourism economy grows

More than 32 million people visited North Yorkshire during 2024, a 3.8% increase on the previous year, according to North Yorkshire Council.
The authority said the tourism sector was worth more than £4bn annually, supporting more than 38,000 full-time jobs.
The analysis will be used to drive forward a 10-year vision for the county's visitor economy and help target areas of growth, the council said.
Leader Carl Les said: "The new figures clearly show just how important the visitor economy is to North Yorkshire."
Among the locations to see a boost in visitor numbers was Castle Howard, which recorded a 10% increase during summer 2024 thanks, in part, to a series of events including a sculpture exhibition, the council said.
The stately home's visitor attraction director, Abbi Ollive, said: "Castle Howard had a record-breaking year in 2024, with visitor numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
"We are delighted to have seen this growth last year and to be working on programmes of events that bring people to this destination and that contribute to the local economy."
A destination management plan was launched last October and is the first ever overarching strategy for tourism in the county.
The plan is being developed by Visit North Yorkshire, a destination management and marketing organisation that is overseen by North Yorkshire Council.
The council's head of tourism Tony Watson said: "A great deal of work has already been done by the team to reach the targets set out in the destination management plan.
"We are committed to driving forward the visitor economy, as it is so important to North Yorkshire."
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