THE region’s tourism industry has received a boost with a ferry operator reporting that a long-established route connecting the North-East with the Continent had enjoyed its most successful year on record.

DFDS Seaways said there had been a ten per cent increase in passengers on its Newcastle to Amsterdam route, with 531,000 travelling on the service last year. It included a 19 per cent increase in passengers taking breaks in the North-East.

The North-East’s £4bn tourism industry, which employs 60,000 people, bucked the national trend as the only area outside London to show an increase in visitor numbers last year.

DFDS Seaways UK managing director John Crummie attributed the increase in northern European tourists using the route to the weak pound.

He said: “Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider North-East has become even better value for money with a stronger euro. We have seen a rise in the short-break business from Holland and Germany, which is undoubtedly being driven by the favourable exchange rate.

“The daily crossings between Newcastle and Amsterdam are vital to tourism in the North-East as well as providing a gateway in to Europe for the region.”