YORKSHIRE has been urged to stay strong and keep united as the world takes stock of Britain’s decision to leave the EU.

Welcome to Yorkshire is appealing to tourism businesses to continue their great work in ensuring Yorkshire is a number one tourist destination.

The tourism and events organisation is predicting a potential boom in staycation holidaymakers, and is sending a message to international visitors that they are still welcome in Yorkshire.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “The question that many of our members and businesses within Yorkshire are asking is, how will this affect tourism, how will this affect us?

“We would urge communities in Yorkshire to do what they do best and that is to pull together and support each other like never before.

"We need to stand united, to “keep calm and carry on” with our work of making Yorkshire a friendly, attractive, and inspiring place to visit for domestic and international visitors alike."

Organisers of the The Tour de Yorkshire said it not be affected by the referendum result, as Welcome to Yorkshire does not receive European funding and will instead continue to work closely with French colleagues at ASO to deliver the event.

It said that latest figures showed a "huge public appetite" for the race, which saw some two million spectators line the route, with the event said to have generated nearly £60 million for the local economy, a 20 per cent increase on last year.

"This is a Yorkshire success story, and this is what we are about," said Mr Verity. 

"We need to keep Yorkshire a must-see visitor destination, keep attracting visitors. Let’s not forget Scarborough was recently named the most popular destination for holidaymakers anywhere outside London from 2013 to 2015.

"No-one knows for certain what a post-EU UK would look like, but it is likely to be a lot more expensive for domestic travellers to fly abroad. Perhaps this means there will be a boom in “staycations” with more and more people looking to stay within the UK and looking at Yorkshire as somewhere to spend their break.

"A decline in the value of sterling will act as a further incentive for international visitors to holiday here as the Dollar and the Euro will go much further.

"International visitors are important to us and we are working hard to ensure Yorkshire is marketed globally."

According to the results of the Great Britain Tourism Survey, domestic overnight trips to Yorkshire grew by 20 per cent in 2015, one of the largest increases anywhere in England. 

The county also experienced an 11 per cent increase in spending. 

Welcome to Yorkshire began a £1million international marketing campaign earlier this year, and successfully secured more television coverage for the Tour de Yorkshire to showcase the county.

This was broadcast globally to 178 countries and watched by 11.4 million global TV viewers across Eurosport and ITV4, double the amount in 2015.

Earlier this year, a Tour de Yorkshire branded plane was unveiled and is spreading the message from the skies after Welcome to Yorkshire linked up with Flybe.

"We will continue to think big and to come up with ways we can promote Yorkshire to the world," said Mr Verity. 

"We remain naturally optimistic and we take the view that the best of our work is in front of us.

"The result does not mean we are any less welcoming to our friends in Europe or anywhere else in the world.

"We will work harder than ever to ensure their stay is warm, welcoming, and memorable, and we will continue as ever in our mission to make Yorkshire the number one tourist destination."