TOURISM-related spending in West Oxfordshire rose by three per cent in 2012, latest figures have revealed.

The district has seen the highest increase in the county with increase of tourism spending from £260.4million in 2011 to £268.2million in 2012, the year of the London Olympics.

The figures come from the latest annual Economic Impact of Tourism Study by Tourism South East, which provides services and expertise to support the performance and growth of the region’s tourism industry.

And according to the study, the number of visitors to the district also increased by 140,000 in 2012 compared to the previous year, with the total number of visitor trips rising to 4.28 million.

There was a 3.6 per cent rise in the number of day trips as well as a 2.5 per cent rise in overnight stays but a small decline in the number of overseas visitors staying in the district.

Councillor Richard Langridge, Cabinet Member with responsibility for tourism at the council, said: "Of course the Olympics will have had an effect on tourism in 2012, but we have been on an upward trend in West Oxfordshire in recent years and it is great to see this continuing, especially given the difficulties in the UK economy."