THE first TV advert promoting the North-East will be beamed into millions of homes across the country tonight in a bid to boost the region's £1bn tourism industry.

More than 7.4m viewers are expected to see the commercial, which aims to raise awareness of North-East England, attract tourists and boost the economy.

The advert, which will be aired in 60, 40 and two 30-second versions, will feature The Angel of the North, Durham Cathedral, Gisborough Priory, the Farne Islands, High Force waterfall, Roseberry Topping, near Great Ayton, and views of Stanhope.

Viewers in this region will have the first chance to see the advert at about 7.15pm tonight, during Emmerdale's commercial break.

The advert will air nationwide throughout this month and next month on more than 1,000 spots on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and on satellite channels such as Sky Sports, ITV2, More 4, E4 and Discovery.

It is hoped the commercial will boost the profile of the region.

Stacy Hall, director of communications at One NorthEast, said: "The North-East England tourism industry already brings £1bn a year to the regional economy.

"However, our aim is for it to contribute considerably more and to play a central role in our plans to achieve a vibrant and sustainable North-East economy."

The advert's director, Adrian Moat, is part of the team at RSA Films, South Shields-born director Ridley Scott's company.