£60m boost to economy generated by 2016 Tour de Yorkshire

The Tour de Yorkshire moved from strength to strength in its second edition in 2016, with television viewers doubling and nearly £60m being generated for the local economy.

The race, won by Direct Energie's Thomas Voeckler, was broadcast on Eurosport and ITV4 during its three days, and even though technical problems caused by the poor weather affected coverage, viewing figures reached 11.4m around the world.

Independent research by Repucom shows that more than two million spectators lined the streets, with 21 per cent of them travelling from outside of Yorkshire to the event.

Spending on accommodation among fans reportedly rose by over 27 per cent, while sales of items such as food and drink rose by over 12 per cent on 2015.

Highlights of stage three of the Tour de Yorkshire

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, 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."

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Four start and finish locations have already been announced for 2017, with Sheffield, Halifax, Harrogate and Selby all on the list for the event, which could expand beyond its current three days.

Voeckler said after his overall victory in Scarborough: “When you see all the crowds on the road I am sure that in 20 to 30 years there will still be a Tour de Yorkshire.”