THE splendour of some of the region's most scenic countryside is to be turned to economic advantage under proposals unveiled yesterday.

Improved facilities for wildlife watching, better access to renowned heritage sites and aid for struggling businesses will all come under a major scheme to revive the North York Moors National Park.

About £1.3m is to be ploughed into bringing new businesses and jobs to a region that was devastated by foot-and-mouth crisis last year.

Officials have stressed that the project is experimental, but hope that it could lead to an extended visitor season in the national park.

Alison Biddulph, Europe director of the Government office for Yorkshire, said: "It will help build economic growth and stability in a particularly beautiful, but economically vulnerable part of Yorkshire."

More accessible tourist information services, better cycling and walking routes, and widespread campaigns promoting the area's natural and heritage assets will be provided.

A project team will be appointed to start work next month, based at the national park authority headquarters in Helmsley.

Chief executive of the authority, Andy Wilson, said: "The project will improve the environment and at the same time create jobs and new investment. It signals a new emphasis on developing tourism sustainably in the national park."

Andy Tordoff, head of tourism at regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, said that it would contribute to the efforts regionally to "provide a better tourism product across the region."