RECORD-breaking numbers of visitors holidayed and spent money in Yorkshire between April and June this year, according to new figures.

The region saw a 10 per cent increase in visits to 361,000 - the highest quarter for the county since records began in 1961, the agency Visit Britain have said.

Spending by inbound visitors was up by eight per cent to £145m which was also a record for an April to June period for Yorkshire.

There were increases in visitors from Spain, Republic of Ireland, France, Netherlands, Canada and Poland among others.

The news comes just days after Yorkshire was chosen to host the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, which will potentially see millions of visitors descend on the county for eight days of world-class racing over nine days.

That decision enhanced Yorkshire’s global reputation for cycling, which began in 2014 with the Tour de France Grand Départ and has continued ever since with the annual Tour de Yorkshire.

The chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, Sir Gary Verity, said: “We’ve worked hard to promote the county as a world class destination and I have no doubt that the Tour de Yorkshire, which took place in this time bracket, had a part to play in boosting visitor numbers and spend.

“This is fantastic news.”