Haworth Tourist Information Centre has revealed that the number of inquiries it received last year rose by almost 2,000 on the previous year, to 166,455.

However, Tricia Tillotson of the information centre said that a drop in American and Japanese tourists had hit local hotel and B&B owners.

She said: "Our actual foot-fall figures through the door are down by 1,487 on last year, but inquiries right across the board, including e-mail and phone, are up by just short of 2,000.

"Some of the local accommodation providers seem to be among the worst hit and the bookings taken through us were about 30 per cent down.

"We seem to have had a lot more day trippers as people couldn't go to places in the Dales, so Haworth benefited from that.

"The Japanese are starting to come back and there has been a definite increase during the last three to four weeks, but the American market is still very scarce at the moment."

Traders reported good trading figures over the festive period.

Chairman of Haworth Traders' Association Mike Hutchinson said: "All in all it's been a good Christmas and the weekends were great, although the mid-week period has been a slight problem.

"Talking to other people in the trade in other places, it has been the same for them."