Yorkshire's tourism chief has condemned a Government decision to cut funding to national tourist board Visit Britain by 18 per cent.

David Andrews, chief executive of the Yorkshire Tourist Board, says the cut follows static funding in the last decade, meaning a 50 per cent reduction in real terms.

Mr Andrews and other tourism leaders in the UK warn that the industry, the country's sixth largest, is losing out to international competition.

They argue that Visit Britain is needed to fund overseas and UK tourism marketing.