THE region's tourism industry is still struggling with the aftermath of September 11, according to figures released yesterday.

There were more foreign visitors in the UK last month than at the same time last year when numbers were hit by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

However, the figures are still 20 per cent down on September 2000 - used as a benchmark as it is seen as the last year when tourism statistics were normal.

The British Incoming Tour Operators Association (BITOA) welcomed this month's 3.7 per cent rise - the best results for the past year.

"Although still some way off the September 2000 totals, the 2002 figures are going in the right direction, despite the political and economic uncertainty," said a spokesman.

The number of passengers using Newcastle Airport appears to have held up while a Northumbria Tourist Board spokeswoman said anecdotal evidence from local attractions has been that visitors from overseas are still making the journey to Britain.

The Yorkshire Tourist Board also remained upbeat, despite confirming a marked decrease in the number of visitors flying in from the US.

"What we should remember is that 85 per cent of our visitors are domestic," said a spokeswoman. "We expected a recovery to be a long-term project as foot-and-mouth disease has also had an impact on foreign trade."

Forward bookings also appear to indicate the potential for a continued upward trend, with BITOA's figures showing a 4.8 per cent rise last month compared with September 2001.