Income generated by marketing campaigns staged by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire in 2010 shot up by more than a third on the previous year to just over £40 million, according to independent research.

The official tourist board's Visitor Guide brought in £66 for every pound spent on the campaign - compared to the return of £44 for every pound invested in 2009 - generating more than £36.7 million in direct and indirect income for the area.

Its Elements campaign - expanded to include walking festivals, thematic short breaks, well dressings and gardens and Spookyshire in 2010 - reaped £64 in income for every pound spent on the campaign, a massive rise on the previous year, when £11 was generated for every pound invested. Direct and indirect income totalled almost £5 million.

The evaluation - carried out by Cardiff-based Strategic Marketing on behalf of East Midlands Tourism, the tourism arm of the government-funded East Midlands Development Agency (emda) - also revealed that:

The tourist board's website, www.visitpeakdistrict.com, was a key tool in generating interest in both campaigns. Forty-four per cent of people surveyed said they found out about the Visitor Guide online, while more than half had become aware of the Elements campaign thanks to the website.

E-mail was also an effective medium - informing one in four of those surveyed about the Visitor Guide, and a third of those surveyed about the Elements campaign.

Nine of ten people surveyed said the Visitor Guide had some positive influence on their decision to visit the area, while 87 per cent said that the Elements campaign had had some positive impact on their choice.

More than two-thirds of those surveyed about both campaigns stayed overnight, rather than just visiting for the day - another important factor in boosting visitor spend. 

"We're delighted, but not surprised, that this independent research has revealed that our 2010 marketing campaigns have been so powerful

and cost-effective," said David Thornton, the tourist board's Head of Marketing and Deputy Chief Executive.

"Both have punched well above their weight in terms of return on investment, despite a very challenging economic climate - and I hope the Government will continue to recognise the value, and necessity of, funding such valuable initiatives in the future. "We're particularly pleased to see that, by broadening the scope of the Elements campaign to offer more choice and variety, we have been able to achieve substantially better results than those for the previous year.

"This reinforces our view that collaborating closely with our local partners, both in the private and public sectors, is paying dividends - especially for all the many tourism businesses who buy into our annual marketing campaigns. 

It's further proof that working together and pooling our resources is the best way forward in boosting the number of visitors to, and the amount spent in, the Peak District and Derbyshire."

Businesses wanting to share in the tourist board's marketing successes can now buy space in the 2012 Visitor Guide or in its autumn and winter campaigns - for full details visit www.visitpeakdistrict.com/industry.