A new tourism campaign has been launched to highlight the wealth of what is on offer in North Yorkshire with our communities being urged to explore more of the county.

The marketing drive is aimed at both enticing a more diverse range of visitors while also highlighting all that North Yorkshire has to offer to people living in the county.

The campaign, called There’s More to North Yorkshire, is the largest and most high-profile initiative to be staged by the county’s tourism organisation, Visit North Yorkshire, since its launch in October last year.

More than £4 billion is brought into North Yorkshire’s economy each year through tourism and the industry supports 38,500 jobs.

The new campaign is set to challenge the public’s perceptions about the traditional view of North Yorkshire as a destination that is simply about stunning countryside and activities centred on the county’s vast rural areas.

Marketing will highlight the exhilarating water activities on the coast as well as wellness experiences in surprising places, such as meditation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden as well as yoga at How Stean Gorge.

The campaign will also highlight the intriguing history and heritage at North Yorkshire’s abbeys, castles and railways alongside the county’s night out and live music and the varied food and drink sector.

Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “We have long championed North Yorkshire as a great place to both live and visit, with our wonderful scenery and landscapes and such beautiful towns and villages across the county.

“This new campaign is about letting people go out and explore all that is on offer that they might not have realised is here in North Yorkshire.

“North Yorkshire is England’s largest county and there is such a diverse range of attractions and activities on offer, whether that be for our residents or people coming to visit.

“We want people to go out and explore and find those activities and places as there really is so much more to North Yorkshire than you might first think.”

Visit North Yorkshire, which is overseen by ourselves, officially launched its destination management plan in October and work is under way to promote this 10-year vision to boost tourism through the first countywide strategy of its kind.

Specific trends that have been identified as opportunities for growing the market include environmentally-friendly travel, stays that are off-grid and away from the pressures of modern life and also attracting business travellers to spend leisure time in the county.

The destination management plan is aimed at capitalising on the diversity of what is on offer in the county, including its famous countryside, stately homes and gardens and history and heritage.

More information is available on Visit North Yorkshire’s newly launched website.

You can also follow Visit North Yorkshire on Facebook and look for ideas, updates and inspirations for days out and trips on the Visit North Yorkshire Instagram account.