BUSINESSES in a town heavily dependent on the tourist trade are to promote the area themselves after budget cuts resulted in council-run services being slashed.

Independent supermarket Campbells, of Leyburn, in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, has produced a brochure of places to visit in the area and the owners of the Dales Haven Guest House, in the town’s market place, have opened a tourist information centre in their home, staffed by volunteers.

It follows the decision by Richmondshire District Council to shut the tourist information centres in Richmond and Leyburn in an attempt to save more than £90,000.

Doug Campbell, the sixth generation of his family to run the supermarket which has been trading since 1868, said visitors were vitally important to the town’s economy, with sales in local stores rising by up to 30 per cent during the tourist season.

Mr Campbell said: “We thought it would be a good idea to produce a brochure telling people about places to go out for the day.

“It is something we had already been talking about, and the first couple of pages are about the shop, but it coincided with the tourism information centre closures.

“We did 5,000 copies as a first run and we are about half-way through them.

“There are 16 pages and it gives visitors an idea of what to do. Quite a number of guest houses have taken copies to hand out, as well a some of the pubs.”

Mr Campbell said tourism was a vital industry for Leyburn, with an influx of visitors from March to December.

“In the winter, visitors mainly come at the weekends, but it makes a 25 per cent to 30 per cent difference to sales in the town, especially in the summer.”

Martin Crowson, who runs the Dales Haven, said: “Tourism underpins the prosperity of Leyburn and every business has an interest in the success of Leyburn as a visitor destination.

“We are located in the market place and being a guest house and tea room we were already a central point for tourists as we put brochures out, so that is how we became involved.

“We didn’t want to see the town without a tourist information centre and we thought we could do quite a good job.

“Leyburn is a thriving town that is a magnet for tourists.

At the moment we are getting 1,000 visitors a week.”