AN education initiative is being launched to make the county more attractive to overseas visitors and boost the holiday trade.

Language courses are to be introduced aimed at those involved in the county's tourism industry.

Hoteliers, restaurateurs and those running bed and breakfast accommodation and tearooms are being encouraged to take short courses in French, Spanish, Italian and German.

The initiative hopes to make staying in the UK less daunting for those with little or no English. The courses will be run in each district by the county council's community education service.

The county's curriculum manager for languages, Patricia Hughes, said preparation for the courses would begin in autumn, with tuition starting early next year.

She said: "January and February tend to be quiet times for the tourism industry, but the gap to Easter is not too long, so they can put their language skills straight into practice.

"A few helpful phrases when a foreign visitor arrives can make all the difference in making the welcome they receive even more friendly and personal."

The county's executive member for education, Councillor Jim Clark, said tourism businesses would be able to send as many staff as they wanted on the courses.

"Those guesthouses and tearooms that attract visitors from the major countries of Europe should benefit a great deal from better communication with customers, but the rewards will extend beyond individual businesses," he said.

"If visitors get a warm and personal welcome, they are more likely to come back to the county in the future and to recommend North Yorkshire to friends and family back home."