Lakes Alive festival 'boosted Cumbria economy by £3m'

Ilotopie from France performed an entire show on Derwentwater as part of the festival

An arts festival in Cumbria that celebrated the 2012 Olympics generated £3m for the county's economy, a study has found.

Lakes Alive, which featured street parades and a show performed entirely on Derwentwater, also attracted 50,000 visitors during its summer run.

The study, for organisers Kendal Arts International, found 15,000 visitors were from outside Cumbria.

Plans for further events in 2013 are being finalised.

The study, by Helen Corkery Research and Marketing, found that for every £1 spent on the events £3.50 was generated for the Cumbrian economy.

Julie Tait from Lakes Alive said: "This report shows that Lakes Alive has made a significant contribution to the local tourism agenda, by encouraging more overnight stays and boosting cultural and general tourism."

Highlights of the festival included Water Fools, a surreal night show performed on Derwentwater; Masquepony, a small scale, family friendly festival in Cartmel and Mintfest, one of the country's largest street arts festivals.