THE tourism industry in the region’s holiday capital has defied the economic climate by producing its best visitor figures ever.

The tourism agency Visit York has released its best tourism figures for visits to city attractions since its records began.

The agency monitors visits to attractions through a poll of nine of the city’s largest venues and, since the start of 2013, they have increased eight per cent compared to the same period in 2012 – up from 2,100,901 to 2,485,133.

Events such as Mallard 75 at the National Railway Museum, the Orb and Undercroft at York Minster, Richard III artefacts at the Yorkshire Museum and the popularity of outdoor attractions such as YorkBoat during the summer heat wave, have all led to the city’s best tourism figures in over a decade.

Hotels are also celebrating good news. In September this year there was 90.6 per cent hotel room occupancy, the highest for any month since the official tourism survey began in 2007.

That was higher than in London – at 88 per cent - and the first time the 90 per cent marker has been exceeded in York.

Visit York head Kate McMullen said: “We’re delighted with these fantastic figures. The increase in occupancy levels demonstrates a strong trend for visitors to stay for two or more nights.

“York is performing very well and attracting visitors from all across the UK and overseas. We are fortunate that businesses continually develop new exhibitions and events to help us in our marketing of the city.”