INCREASED marketing has seen tourism figures in a rural area of County Durham rise substantially.

A number of tourist attractions, hotels and tourism operators in Teesdale have reported a growth in business this year, despite the bad weather.

It is believed the reason is the travel trade's Discover Teesdale initiative, run in partnership with Teesdale Marketing, Teesdale District Council, the Bowes Museum and Raby Estates.

This year, the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, is expecting visitor figures to top 100,000 for the first time. The museum attributes its success to a number of new exhibitions and developments such as the Caf Bowes and the Teesdale Food and Craft Festival.

Raby Castle has seen a growth in visitors to events such as the orchid show, vintage car rally and the autumn plant fair.

At the tourist information centre in Barnard Castle, sales have increased by 15 per cent, and demand for brochures and guides has doubled since the end of the summer holidays.

Discover Teesdale has been marketing the dale for the past few years at trade shows and large events. As a result, Dutch motorbike tour operator Motoerit and Hampshire-based coach operators Truemans Travel regularly bring groups to the dale.

To learn more about Discover Teesdale visit www.teesdalediscovery.com.