When listing reasons why tourists might want to visit the Lake District, several obvious answers spring readily to mind.

The first is the area’s stunning scenery, complete with glorious lakes, majestic fells and picturesque waterfalls.

Visitors flock here to go walking through this landscape, as well as taking part in a host of other outdoor adventures, such as mountain biking, sailing, rock climbing and canoing.

A further draw is this region’s strong links with writers, thinkers and painters, including William Wordsworth, Arthur Ransome, Beatrix Potter, George Romney and John Ruskin.

Another major element is the range of top-quality festivals and events, such as Mint Fest, Kendal Calling, the Kendal Mountain Festival and the Lakes International Comic Art Festival.

This past few days there has been an embarrassment of riches on offer. On Thursday, Westmor-land County Show welcomed its biggest crowd since starting more than 200 years ago.

The following night, Kendal was packed with people to witness what many believe is one of the best Torchlight Carnival in many years. Fast forward to the weekend and Sedbergh took the limelight for Sheep Fest, an innovative new event, which included 100 life-size sheep adorning the streets as part of a trail through the town.

And on Saturday night an estimated 6,000 people watched the spectacular Ulverston Lantern Parade.

Huge credit must go to all involved in organising these events.

A new tourism group called Lakes Culture, led by Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre, has recently won funding to promote the county’s cultural offer. Plans are at an early stage but the aim is to attract more high-spending visitors to the area.

That will certainly be a boon for the economy.

And with such a strong bedrock of great cultural attractions already in place, the stage is set for the project to be a big success.