Tour de France boosts Calderdale economy by an extra £12.5m

The report by Calderdale Council also shows an additional £200,000 was brought into borough by the Yorkshire Festival, which attracted visitors to view and participate in an extensive arts and cultural events programme in the 100 day build up to the Grand Depart.

The research by Welcome to Yorkshire examined the economic and social impact of the Tour, which travelled through Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Ripponden and Greetland as part of Stage Two of the race on Sunday July 6, 2014.

Calderdale Council’s Leader, Cllr Stephen Baines said: “I’m delighted by these findings, which show the clear benefits that participation in the Tour de France brought to Calderdale.

“This can be measured both in terms of the immediate impact on our local economy and, in the longer term, the legacy.

“We know there are keen cyclists who will want to tackle the challenges of the route themselves this summer.

“There are also spectators and viewers who will want to explore our beautiful landscapes and quirky towns, bringing lasting benefits for our tourism industry.

“It’s also great to hear that more people than ever are taking to their bikes, which has such great health benefits. It would be fantastic to think that hosting the Tour in Calderdale may have inspired the next Sir Bradley Wiggins.”

The report found that £2.8 million was spent on accommodation, including hotels and B&Bs, whilst a further £9.3 million was spent by visitors during the event.

Over 3.3 million people lined the route in Yorkshire with 340,000 people watching the race as it travelled through Calderdale.

Approximately 160,000 spectators travelled into Calderdale from other areas to watch the race and it is estimated two per cent were from overseas.

A survey of spectators revealed that 44 per cent, or an estimated 130,000 people in Calderdale, felt inspired by the Tour to cycle more, and a quarter of those who never cycle said they felt encouraged to take up the hobby.