For the first time more than a million people have visited the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate over a 12 month period, organisers report.

The attendance by 1,000,508 visitors contributed to record sales figures of £902,782 - that is 26 per cent above the 1998 total of £716,107.

Raymond Twiddle, chairman of Yorkshire Agricultural Enterprises which runs the showground said: "It's good news not only for us, but for Harrogate as a whole as visitors boost the local economy through increased usage of hotels, restaurants and guest houses as well as generating employment.

"The more we can do to attract events to Harrogate rather than other areas of the country, the better."

Organisers believe that versatility of the venue, extensive free car parking and good access to major roads and rail networks and to Leeds-Bradford Airport were all major factors in attracting business.

Since the showground's £5 million conference and events venue known as Pavilions of Harrogate opened its doors five years ago business has steadily increased. Where once the showground was primarily the venue for the annual Great Yorkshire Show, it is now but one of many events on the site.

Last year's event calendar for Pavilions included 21 weddings, 18 exhibitions and 190 conferences A big coup was the naming of Pavilions as a preferred venue by computer giant Microsoft which plans further events over the next few months.

The showground itself has been used for numerous trade fairs, exhibitions, shows, rallies, equestrian events and bicycle races, while go-karting sessions are held in the Flower Hall during the winter months.

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