THE North-East is experiencing faster growth in tourism than any other area of the country, a new report shows.

The report, by the VisitBritain agency, shows that visits to North-East attractions rose by 16 per cent last year -the highest of any region in the country.

It is the second time in succession that the North-East has topped the table for increased visitor figures.

The most popular paying attraction was the indoor leisure park MetroLand, at Gateshead's MetroCentre, which 1.2 million people visited last year.

Beamish Museum, near Stanley, County Durham, attracted 336,000 people.

For free attractions, the Baltic arts centre, in Gateshead, was the most popular, attracting 714,000 people.

John Holmes, the director of regeneration and tourism at development agency One NorthEast, said: "I am delighted that VisitBritain's report on increased visitor figures puts the North-East in pole position yet again.

"The North-East's continuing success in attracting visitors can be attributed not only to the quality of visitor attractions the region has to offer, but the standard of our accommodation and wonderful welcome we give tourists.

"Couple this with the unique mix of experiences that can be enjoyed in a relatively compact area, ranging from stunning coastlines and vibrant cities to breathtaking countryside and two world heritage sites, and you have a winning combination.

"One NorthEast has made substantial investments in promoting tourism within the region, launching a national spring short breaks visitor campaign and a summer days out promotion aimed at boosting visits to North-East attractions.

"And with an autumn marketing push soon to launch, we hope we can build on these figures announced by Visit-Britain."