TOURISM in the region is gradually recovering from the combined effects of foot-and-mouth and September 11, a survey revealed yesterday.

But the latest figures published by the English Tourism Council also described the industry as remaining in a fragile state.

The newly-released findings showed that UK residents taking holiday trips in England from January to May of this year marked a 15pc increase to 52.4m with spending up by 21pc to £7.7bn compared with the same time last year.

In Northumbria, statistics revealed that both the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the Twin Towers tragedy saw a decline in trips to the region of 23pc.

Takings from holidaymakers visiting Northumbria was £110m less in 2001 compared to 2000, showing the huge impact on tourism in Northumberland, Durham, Tyne and Wear and Teesdale.

This year, however, the region had seen the tourism industry recovering with a marked improvement from last year.

Holiday occupancy levels were showing an increase, with 54pc of those involved in the tourism business indicating that visitor demand had increased.

But a spokesman for the English Tourism Coumcil said that, while more hopeful, the increases were still only in line with 2000 levels and added: "The industry is still facing lost growth that it would otherwise have achieved between 2000-1 and 2001-2.''

Evidence of the fragility of tourism's recovery was also revealed in the latest quarterly tourism and leisure development survey which showed a slight fall in optimism for the second quarter of this year.

The new survey indicated that, nationally, an encouraging 68pc of businesses said they had now recovered but the number which did not expect to be back on target until next year had increased from 10pc to nearly 23pc.