Visitors to flock to Yorkshire following Tour de France

A NEW survey has found that a quarter of the UK population now want to visit Yorkshire following its triumphant hosting of the Tour de France Grand Depart.

And more than one third of those questioned in the national survey by Leeds-based ResearchBods said that they had had their opinions of the county positively changed due to the sporting event.

The research found that those questioned said that they are more likely to visit the towns and villages highlighted by Tour de France coverage than the major cities.

The findings will be welcomed by tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire, local authorities and businesses across the region as they look to focus on securing the legacy of the world’s largest annual sporting event.

Cities also received a major boost during the Grand Départ weekend with more than half of those heading to Yorkshire to watch the event live, choosing York, Leeds or Sheffield as their destination.

While a majority of the UK population (excluding Yorkshire) observed that TV promotions (65%) were most effective in drawing their attention to the Tour de France, clever marketing within Yorkshire meant the Yorkshire population were most drawn to the yellow bikes that appeared at various locations throughout the county, with close to half those questioned stating that this was what stood out for them.

Yorkshire didn’t just appeal to adults either, children aged 8 to 16 also gave their opinion on the county, with exactly half wanting to make a trip to Yorkshire in the near future.

As a lasting legacy, the Tour de France has created a positive outlook by those living in Yorkshire, with over three-quarters wanting Welcome to Yorkshire to bid for more sporting events to be held within the county.

The study, which was conducted over the weekend of the July 5 to 7, had 1,422 adult participants and 457 8-16 year olds taking part. Participants were sampled from all over the United Kingdom.