GIANT posters of the Lake District and Cumbria are going up at big city train stations to get more heads on beds for the tourism season.

The new promotional push aims to influence train passengers visiting Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle into making spring and early summer bookings to local B&Bs, guesthouses, hotels, holiday cottages and self-catering units.

It is the second phase of a major Lake District and Cumbria promotion by Cumbria Tourism, in a project headed by national tourist authority, VisitEngland.

It has been part funded by the government’s regional growth fund.

Other locations for the posters include Wigan, Bradford, York, Sheffield and Gateshead.

The campaign has two slogans: Go – Share Great Moments. and Go – Take Your Breath Away. It will be backed with website and newsletter branding and social media.

Ian Stephens, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “The Lake District, is one of the UK’s strongest and most recognised destination brands, yet with increased competition from domestic markets across the UK, it is now more important than ever for us to keep our offering fresh and firmly in the public eye.

He added: “Cumbria Tourism works closely with a large range of partners to grow the value of tourism to our area. There is the real potential to build on this campaign for the future and we will be constantly talking to potential partners to extend the campaign both in terms of content and coverage to show to as wide an audience as possible the full range of things that the Lake District, Cumbria has to offer.’’

VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: “The money from the government’s regional growth fund is a huge boost for tourism in England. This campaign enables our public and private sector partners to work together to stimulate tourism and ultimately grow jobs throughout the country with particular emphasis on some local areas, of which the Lake District, Cumbria is one.”