Regular cleaning, signs enforcing social distancing and at appointments at attractions are all things visitors to Cumbria would like to see as the county prepares to welcome back tourists.

The information was gathered in a national survey carried out by Cumbria Tourism, sponsored by The Cumberland Building Society.

It found confidence in the county as a visitor destination remains high, with 83 per cent considering it to be a safe place to visit.

However, 44 per cent of respondents said while they do plan to visit in the future, they are going to wait a little longer before making any decisions.

The survey also found 98 per cent expect to witness regular cleaning in operation, while 96 per cent would like easy access to hand sanitiser stations.

A further 92 per cent would take comfort in seeing social distancing signage and rules, with overwhelming support for limits on visitor numbers and reserving places in advance at attractions.

Seventy-eight per cent of respondents also say they would be confident about visiting businesses which have signed up to a national accreditation scheme to demonstrate their commitment to good hygiene and public safety measures.

The survey also found more than 90 per cent of respondents would feel safe visiting outdoor places like parks, gardens and villages in the coming weeks.

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism Gill Haigh said: “This is all about safety for everyone, from our visitors to residents, staff and wider communities.

"Confidence in Cumbria’s responsible approach to tourism will continue, with the health and safety of our residents, visitors and workers absolutely paramount.

“These findings will prove very valuable to help meet the expectations of our visitors.

"We would like to thank the thousands of people who responded, all of whom have played a really important role in our ongoing work to help businesses recover from a very difficult start to the year.

"We can now use this information to inform local businesses of the best-practices they can adopt to meet the evolving needs of their visitors, as well being very useful to help businesses inform their own marketing campaigns.”

The survey also found the appetite for visits to less well-known and quieter parts of Cumbria has increased.

At the same time, 70 per cent of respondents said they would feel safe in hotels, guesthouses and B&B accommodation, as well as at visitor attractions with both indoor and outdoor facilities.

Over the next 12 months around 50 per cent said they expect to take more day trips and overnight stays in the UK than usual.

A further 54 per cent said they expect to take fewer trips abroad, switching to a domestic break instead.

The research was carried-out primarily via Cumbria Tourism’s visitor database and social media channels.