THE huge contribution made to the local economy by the home of the country’s biggest agricultural show has been spelt out in an in-depth impact study.

It reveals that the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate generates some £47m for the region through the hundreds of events staged there each year.

It also directly supports a total of 103 jobs - and indirectly supports a further 450 through the supply chain.

The study was carried out by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, best known for staging the annual Great Yorkshire Show at the showground which also incorporates Pavilions of Harrogate and the Yorkshire Event Centre.

Deputy chief executive Heather Parry said: “We attract around 422,000 visitors to the showground each year, to a total of 582 events which means that on average we hold 1.6 events each day of the year.

“With so many events attracting big visitor numbers it’s not surprising that the financial benefit to the region is significant – whether that’s in terms of hotel rooms booked, meals bought in local restaurants, or in the number of people we employ.”

The Society spends over £5m each year. predominantly with local businesses, to help run a wide range of events from weddings to corporate events to national exhibitions. All profits are ploughed back into its work supporting agriculture across the north.

As well as the Great Yorkshire Show other events include the Harrogate Spring and Autumn Flower Shows, the Model Engineering Show, antiques shows, conferences and numerous social events.