Tourist traps top visitor spend table

SEPARATED by the Pennines and nearly 100 miles, the historic city of York and the seaside resort of Blackpool are worlds apart in their appeal to tourists.

- ROB PARSONS

But as a new report out this week shows, the two very different destinations have both had great success in getting visitors from elsewhere to spend their money, particularly those staying overnight.

Fascinating Centre for Cities' analysis of visitors' contribution to local economies in the UK's 63 largest cities and towns shows Blackpool and York have a much greater share of local spending from overnight visitors than anywhere else in the country.

And with its Minster, museums and cobbled streets, York has another feather in its cap as the top town or city for overall visitor spending, with visitors accounting for £1 in every £3 spent.

The report 'Spending time: The role of the visitor economy in UK cities, says that on average, one in £7 is spent by visitors in towns and cities in the UK.