The announcement came from Aviva Pearson, chief executive for both the Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership and the Moors and Coast Tourism Partnership, as she spelt out the strategy for attracting visitors over the next two years.

Mrs Pearson said attracting the younger generation to areas of outstanding beauty alongside maintaining the traditional visitor base is key to boosting the already buoyant tourism trade in North Yorkshire.

'new blood'

"We have this great base of people that just keeps coming back, but we want to go after new blood as well," she said.

"We are wanting to attract a large share of the under-35s. People have these preconceptions about what there is to do here but we want to break these down.

'everything for everyone'

"We want to target younger people for different types of getaways and, through surveys we have done, we have seen new people coming here who want to be at the forefront of new trends.

"It is a huge area that we cover and we really do have everything for everyone."

Mrs Pearson said that with the new strategy, she was confident a target to increase first-time visitors by three per cent and income from tourists by five per cent in the next three years could be surpassed.

It is also hoped the increased tourist industry will provide new high-quality jobs throughout North Yorkshire.