CITY Park, Cartwright Hall, Saltaire, Haworth, Ilkley - Bradford district offers many reasons to visit and every year sees an increase in the number of tourists.

In 2014 - the most recent figures available - tourism was worth an estimated £567.4 million to the Bradford district. Over the period there was a four per cent increase in visitor spending.

Domestic overnight trips rose by five per cent in the same period, and a four per cent increase in overseas visitors was experienced, matching the national figure compiled by Visit England.

“It is brilliant,” says Bradford Council’s tourism manager Patricia Tillotson, “Tourism is of vital important to the economy locally, regionally and nationally, and is one of the growth industries in Britain.”

“We get a lot of visitors from Japan as they study the Brontes as part of the school curriculum,” says Tricia. “They are fascinated and love to come over to experience it. Visitors come over, then they go home and talk about what they have seen.”

Such is the interest from Japan that signposts in Japanese have for many years been a feature of Bronte country.

Tourism is prone to external factors such as the strength of the pound against the dollar. “We get a lot of American visitors and Europeans - especially Dutch,” says Patricia.

Britain has seen an increase in the number of Chinese visitors, who are now becoming more evident in the Bradford district.

“They tend to make a tour of the area, visiting places such as Bradford, Haworth and York, spending a short time in each place.”

Day trippers increased by five per cent in 2014, with 10.3 million visiting the district from other parts of the UK. Day visitors from overseas saw a four per cent rise.

“We are really pleased,” says Patricia, who has overseen the department for eight years. “We have seen an increase year-on-year, including during the recession.”

Promoting the district on its website is crucial and contributes enormously to the growth in tourism. “We market ourselves as ‘Visit Bradford’,” says Patricia. “We have just short of one million users on the website, with an increase in people downloading the visitor guide and other material.

“We still produce a lot of brochures and other printed material. People like to carry a brochure in their bag, and not all areas receive a Wi-Fi signal.”

Every year 20,000 visitor guides are distributed across the UK and overseas.

Since opening in March 2012 City Park, with its mirror pool and more than 100 fountains, has proved a huge draw to visitors. Coupled with the city’s new Broadway shopping centre, a swathe cutting across the city centre is seeing an explosion in the number of people coming to experience both.

“These attractions have brought life to the city centre. City Park’s programme of events brings people in, and to have a Westfield shopping centre here is fantastic. They have enhanced the city break for Bradford,” says Patricia.

The opening of many new bars and restaurants across the city, and particularly in Bradford’s flourishing Independent Quarter has added to the buzz across the city, as will the quirky underground retail development at Sunbridge Wells, due to open this year.

“It is really exciting and great for Bradford,” says Patricia.

The diversity of the key destinations - Bradford, Saltaire, Bronte Country, Ilkley and Wharfedale offers something special. “We are almost promoting several destinations in one, that is what is so unique about the district,” says Patricia.

Saltaire’s accreditation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Bradford’s UNESCO City of Film status, due to its rich film heritage and role in many movie locations, continues to boost visitor numbers.

“Just look at what you can do on a visit to the district - there is so much to do, you cannot fit everything in over a weekend.”

Museums and galleries add to the family appeal. “We have always been a family destination,” says Patricia. “Most of the museums are free.”

She adds: “We also have such amazing countryside for walking and cycling, with designated cycle routes.”

Baildon, Bingley, Ilkley and Burley-in-Wharfedale are all accredited Walkers are Welcome communities, offering well-maintained footpaths and facilities for walkers. The Visit Bradford provides a link detailing what the scheme means for ramblers.

“You will, for instance, be welcomed in cafes and restaurants and no-one will look down on your muddy boots,” says Patricia.

Festivals such as Bradford Literature Festival, Ilkley Literature Festival and Saltaire Festival, as well as Bingley Music Live, Haworth 1940s Weekend, and the World Curry Festival bring in thousands of visitors.

*visitbradford.com