UP to £60m is expected to be generated for the local economy when Royal Ascot comes to the North this summer.

It is being predicted that the staging of the races in York, in June, will bring massive benefits to the region.

To take full advantage of the opportunities presented, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward is spending £650,000 on a campaign to promote the area.

About 300,000 national and international race-goers are expected to descend on the city for the meeting, which will have an estimated TV audience of 28 million worldwide.

Royal Ascot is moving to York from June 14 to 18 while its Berkshire home undergoes a £185m redevelopment.

Famous for its top-class racing and the presence of the Royal Family, Royal Ascot is also a magnet for influential figures from the commercial sector.

This year is expected to be no different and it is hoped that the campaign will push the strengths of the region as a prime location for conferences and meetings, and as a destination for business relocation and inward investment.

The campaign will also promote the region as a short-break destination and encourage visitors to extend their stay or make a return visit.

York will be at the centre of a nine-day programme of entertainment for residents and racegoers.

Yorkshire Forward chairman Terry Hodgkinson said: "The potential benefits of staging the meeting are huge, both in the short and longer term.

"However, it is with the long term with which we are most concerned - particularly in attracting inward investment." City of York Council chief executive David Atkinson said the city wanted to achieve long-term economic benefits through the extra visitors and the blue-chip companies bringing clients to the races.

He said: "The support from Yorkshire Forward is hugely welcome and will enable York to show the world the best that the city and the region can offer. This is a fantastic opportunity for the whole area."