More than 45m people visited Cumbria last year, according to new statistics.

The latest figures from Cumbria Tourism show this was an increase of 2m on 2015.

Nearly 39m of those people were day-trippers and the other 6m stayed for longer periods.

It brought in £2.72bn to the county's economy, and helped to ensure the employment of 36,240 jobs.

The strength and resilience of the regional tourism industry will take centre-stage at Cumbria Tourism’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) next month.

Managing Director of Cumbria Tourism, Ian Stephens, says: “The latest tourism figures are sure to be a key talking point at next month’s AGM.

"Times are tough, but the evidence suggests that we have a strong and resilient industry, which is continuing to grow year on year.

“The day visitor market is looking particularly positive, but of course, it’s not just about the volume of people.

"What we want to do is attract more high spending, staying visitors, particularly from expanding overseas markets, and encourage them to explore all corners of our diverse and inspirational county.

"In this way, we can continue to help drive the local economy through retail, leisure, accommodation, and food and drink.”