Staycationing increases tourism at Scarborough

Scarborough is the third most popular holiday destination in England.

The town has been welcoming families for more than 360 years. In 2009 it is enjoying far higher hotel occupancy rates than last year, and is seeing an increase in the numbers of people staying this summer for a holiday.

It's not the only resort to be benefiting from the recession either. Nearly 12m Britons will be taking a break this weekend - a bank holiday for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Just one in five will be going overseas.

Figures from tourism organisation Visit England suggest more people are trying to save money this year and are enjoying holidaying at home.
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Yorkshire certainly does seem to appeal to many British holidaymakers. According to a recent regional visitor survey, 96% said they would recommend the county to others and 89% were likely to return within two years.

Welcome to Yorkshire, the county's tourist board, is delighted to see the region doing so well in a recession.

Chief executive Gary Verity welcomes the boost for the region, saying "staycationing" is has been great news for its visitor economy.

He says it's now up to the resorts and attractions to make the most of this renewed interest and find ways of keeping tourists coming back year after year.

"We do recognise that we need to build on this to ensure the region's tourism industry remains strong well into the future," he says.