The Tour de Yorkshire cycle race injected nearly £60m into the region’s economy, organiser Welcome To Yorkshire has confirmed.
The race weekend, from April 29 to May 1, saw more than two million spectators line the route and spend 20% more than last year, ahead of expectations.
It said spending on accommodation was up nearly 28% on the previous year’s inaugural race, while spending on food, drink, souvenirs and transport was up by over 12%.
Welcome to Yorkshire’s Gary Verity
The race was televised in 178 countries and watched by some 11.4 million global TV viewers across Eurosport and ITV4, double the amount in 2015.
Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Sir Gary Verity said: “This is tremendous news for Yorkshire, and the statistics speak for themselves – the public support for the Tour de Yorkshire is overwhelming.
“Even in the face of some not so welcoming weather, these statistics show that the Tour de Yorkshire is rapidly going from strength to strength.
“This confirms that the people of Yorkshire have really taken the Tour de Yorkshire to their hearts and already we can’t wait for next year.”
Fox Valley (Sheffield), Halifax, Harrogate and Selby have already been announced as hosts for next year’s race.
