Bid to attract international visitors to region

Travel agents Akiko Fujiseki and Aya Fujihara spent three days touring Devon and Cornwall

It is hoped visitor numbers to Devon and Cornwall from Japan could rise after a promotional tour of the two counties by tour operators from the east Asian country.

The whistle-stop tour was arranged by Visit Britain and took in sights including St Michael's Mount, St Ives and Dartmoor.

Robin Tjolle, from Visit England, said encouraging more tourists from overseas was a key way of boosting growth.

He said international visitors generally spent three times more than domestic visitors - and that was "great for the economy".

Tomoko Hisaki, from Visit Britain, said she was hoping the trip would lead to Devon and Cornwall being included on more Japanese visitors' itineraries

"It's very different to Tokyo," said Akiko Fujiseki, an online travel agent.

"We're pretty sure Japanese tourists would be delighted to visit here.

"It's a hidden gem, with a relaxing atmosphere and a good combination of historic buildings and beaches."

Malcolm Bell, the former boss of Visit Cornwall, acted as the group's tour guide.

He said Cornwall was "moving much more up the agenda" for overseas visitors.

"International visitors also tend to come to the UK all year round," Mr Bell said.

Travel agent Aya Fujihara, from Gifu, said the south west was an amazing and beautiful place.

The group visited Truro farmer's market and tried locally-baked saffron buns

"It's really important to showcase the wide variety that we have to offer, particularly the food and drink sector," said Abi Steel, tourism manager at Visit Cornwall.

"They absolutely loved it" she added, saying the group found meeting local food producers "really inspiring".

The group visited some of the most popular tourist spots in Devon and Cornwall

The trip follows the launch of Visit Britain's Starring Great Britain campaign, which aims to attract more overseas visitors by highlighting areas which have featured in films and on TV.

"Tourism is a growth industry," said Patricia Yates, the CEO of Visit Britain and Visit England.

"International visitors are keen to come, we saw a 5% increase last year, with visitors spending £32.5bn," she added.