A campaign to boost a city's profile as a tourist destination has been launched with a series of initiatives.

Community leaders have approved four projects - at a total cost of £334,000 - to encourage visitors into Ripon.

Cash from the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward will be used to improve tourist attractions and accommodation in the city.

A grant of £35,000 has been approved to allow Ripon City Partnership to produce and distribute marketing material nationwide.

And that has been backed up by a further grant of £20,000 to allow a tourist information centre, operated by Harrogate Borough Council, to open all year round.

An added attraction to encourage tourists to fully explore the city will also be provided in April, with the launch of several walking trails. The walks, starting and finishing at the refurbished cab man's shelter on the Market Square, will be illustrated in a free guide.

The final part of the package of measures will be the provision of enhanced accommodation. Owners of guest houses and hotels, as well as people setting up new businesses, will be encouraged to upgrade their premises with the help of grants.

Grants from the Ripon Single Regeneration Budget scheme will cover up to 75 per cent of any works.

Chairman of Ripon City Partnership, Bernard Bateman, said the latest schemes would have a major influence on the area's future prosperity.

"Tourism is very important for Ripon. If we can attract more visitors, improve their experience whilst they are here and encourage them to come back again and again, every sector of the city's economy will benefit," he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Janette Gudgeon, chairwoman of the partnership's marketing and tourism development group.

She said: "These projects are all aimed at different elements of the visitor experience - together they will really make a difference in attracting tourists to Ripon and its surrounding area, as well as improving the quality of life for local residents with the extra facilities on offer."