A GROUP of hoteliers turned tourists as they were shown a dale's best attractions.

Thirty hotel managers and bed and breakfast owners from Wear Valley were guided round eight of the rural district's leading destinations.

Wear Valley District Council hopes the tourism workers will act as front-line information officers - answering visitors questions about the dale.

Mike Richardson, the council's tourism officer, said: "Wear Valley has been a bit of a hidden area in terms of tourism. People know about Durham and Newcastle, but Wear Valley, and the Durham Dales, is something new for a lot of travellers.

"Everyone who came along on the tour said how beneficial it was to see the attractions that their guests would see."

Amanda Simpson, who runs Binks Cottage, a self-catering cottage near Wolsingham, joined the tour. She said: "I'll now be able to pass on information to visitors and recommend things they may want to do as part of their visit to the area."

Tourism was worth £39m to the Wear Valley economy in 2004, with the dale attracting 1.89 million visitors.

Mr Richardson believes more tourists could be attracted to the district and the council wants to increase visitor numbers by ten per cent each year.

"The increase in numbers in the last couple of years has been superb, and I think we can attract more in the years to come," Mr Richardson said.

The group began their tour by visiting the Durham Dales Centre, in Stanhope, then Killhope - the North of England Lead Mining Museum, and the North Pennines countryside surrounding it.

The party visited Weardale Museum, in Ireshopeburn, before taking a ride on the Weardale Railway between Stanhope and Wolsingham. They also visited Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland Town Hall and Escomb's Saxon-era church.