BRITISH people choosing to holiday at home has led to Cumbria experiencing a record summer for tourism, new figures reveal.

Provisional statistics from Cumbria Tourism’s research team show record occupancy figures for the county’s accommodation providers over the last three months.

The latest figures reveal a bumper performance across the board in June. There was also steady room occupancy for serviced accommodation in July and August, with self-catering having a record couple of months.

The statistics reflect the national trend for staycations, partly stimulated by the fall in the exchange rate following the EU referendum.

Ian Stephens, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “These are positive figures for the county’s £2.62 billion tourism industry, with an increasing number of people deciding to stay in the UK for their summer holidays and making the Lake District, Cumbria, their destination of choice.

"The challenge now is to maintain this momentum for the traditionally quieter months of the year, which is why Cumbria Tourism is planning to collaborate with a range of different organisations and areas to launch a major winter marketing campaign to promote the Lake District, Cumbria, as an all-year-round visitor destination.”

Ben Berry, of Low Wood Bay Hotel on the shores of Windermere, said his findings over the summer were in keeping with the figures produced by Cumbria Tourism.

"We've been doing fantastically well this summer," he said. "It's particularly good to see great numbers of people from abroad and our job is to get them into the Lake District to enjoy this wonderful part of the world we live in.

It's fantastic to see so soon after the floods. Some businesses are still rebuilding but everyone is trying their hardest and it's great we're rebuilding so quickly. I just hope this winter isn't as bad.

"There's a number of factors. International terror plays a part, and there's the decrease in the cost of the pound. The reality, and the most important, thing is that we have an increasingly fantastic offering in the Lake District. The quality of restaurants, accommodation and attractions just keeps getting better and better."