A HIGH percentage of visitors to last summer's Tall Ships' Races came from outside the region, according to new research.

The Newcastle-Gateshead event, in July, attracted a total of 1.5 million visitors during its four-day stay.

More than 300,000 national and international visitors travelled to the Tyne - many staying in the North-East for up to ten days.

The event was also popular with local people, with a fifth of all visitors living in Newcastle and a further third from elsewhere in Tyne and Wear.

Andrew Dixon, chief executive of Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative, which commissioned the research, said: "These figures categorically demonstrate the importance of bringing world-class events to Newcastle-Gateshead.

"These events not only have the power to engage the local community, but also to act as a real driver for tourism and the region's economy."

Day trippers accounted for the majority of visitors, but as many as 330,000 of all visitors stayed in the region overnight, ten per cent up on 1993 when Newcastle-Gateshead last staged the event.

A third of overnight visitors extended their stay between three and five nights and a quarter remained for up to ten days.

Most overnighters were from the UK, with the highest percentage coming from Yorkshire and the South-East.

Elsewhere in the region, visitors also flocked to Hartlepool where dozens of the ships dropped anchor off the marina, on their way to Tyneside.

Alastair Rae, Hartlepool Borough Council's public relations officer, said: "The visit of the Tall Ships to Hartlepool was one of the highlights of the year and attracted an estimated 175,000 to the town.

"There was a tremendous atmosphere in and around the marina and the event was a huge boost for the town's tourism industry, with hotels fully booked and restaurants packed out.

"Events like this are so valuable for raising the profile of what Hartlepool has to offer."