Business and leisure tourism in Yorkshire has been contributing significantly to the county's economy, according to new figures.

Figures from VisitBritain show that tourism added three-quarters of a billion pounds to the bottom line in gross domestic product (GDP).

"For every pound we invested we gave £80 back in terms of GDP," commented Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

"Our aim is to make Yorkshire a world-class destination and [...] the results speak for themselves," he added.

Mr Verity said that event organisers now view the region as a "natural place" to bring major conferences and exhibitions.

Occupancy rates have risen dramatically as a result of this, he continued.

Rudding Park in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was recently named the top British hotel in the eighth annual Travellers' Choice Awards.

TripAdvisor unveiled the top ten best hotels, with Rudding Park coming ahead of The Manor Coach House in Worcester and Boskerris Hotel in St Ives.

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