STAFF running a Canadian-based hiking tours internet company says the Lake District has become the fastest growing region on its website.

The Lake District section of 10hikes.com only launched at the start of July but the page got to 10,000 hits before the end of the month with viewers from 77 different countries. It has become the second-most diverse country breakdown of any region on the website.

The featured walks cover the entire national park with the most popular being the Newlands Horseshoe, near Keswick, the Mosedale Horseshoe, that starts in Wasdale, and the Roman High Street circuit, near Patterdale.

10hikes founder Richard Campbell said: "We were thrilled to see such great interest from the Lake District because its always been one of our favourite places to hike. Not just in the UK, but on Earth!

"Part of what we do is create a curated list of only the ten best hikes in the most beautiful regions in the world. Picking only ten hikes in the Lake District was a real challenge, we probably should have called ourselves 50hikes due to the incredible variety and quality of walking in the area.

"We were amazed at the popularity of the Lake District on our website and it demonstrated the passion of local walkers and interest from international travellers looking to explore the UK.

"We've now added more regions, including the Chiltern Hills near London and the North York Moors. Right now we have paid contributors finding the best walks from the South Downs, the Peak District, Snowdonia and the Cairngorms.

"The UK is a great walking destination, the combination of spectacular walking combined with charming villages and helpful locals make it one of our favourite places to go."

Richard Leafe, the Lake District National Park Authority's chief executive, said: “Following on from our World Heritage Site success, it’s great news that Canadian hiking enthusiasts are showing so much interest in the Lake District.

“We are delighted to welcome all those from this country and across the globe who come, stay longer and explore everything this sensational area has to offer.”