Tourist attractions are bracing themselves for an expected rise in visitors this season.

And the conflict in the Gulf could have positive spin-offs for visitor numbers to honey-pots in the area, tourism bosses believe.

Popular hot spots in the Keighley area are already boasting an increase in interest, which reflects a survey carried out by the Country Land and Business Association.

It revealed that more than half the people interviewed nationwide said they were more likely this year to holiday in or visit the countryside than last year.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway has already seen a 50 per cent increase in visitors in the first two months of this year.

And staff at East Riddlesden Hall say they have had more enquiries than usual.

K&WVR's Jim Shipley said: "I think there is some evidence to suggest that more people are likely to holiday in this country this year because of the global uncertainty over Iraq.

"The 50 per cent increase in visitors to the railway in January and February is a hell of a jump. One of the reasons is that we had a steam gala in February for the first time ever. Figures for mid week during the summer were down last year. We are now studying more imaginative ways of pulling people in, and the festival was one."

And Robert Barnard, chairman of the Bront Society, which has Bront Parsonage Museum, at Haworth, said the conflict in Iraq could see a fall in visitors from Japan and America.

"But I think we will make up the shortfall with visitors from Britain who have decided not to travel abroad," he said.

East Riddlesden Hall property manager Janet Ritchie said 26,000 people visited the National Trust hall last year, and this year they were hoping to exceed 27,000.

"In February we had a lot of enquiries to see if we were open at half term, which we are not," she said.

"I think this reflects that more people are looking to get out to visitor centres and the countryside."

Dorothy Fairburn, the CLA's regional director, said: "Tourism is of growing importance to Yorkshire's rural economy and this is now more widely recognised, especially in those farming areas that suffered foot and mouth disease. Our survey shows that people are now keener than ever to visit the countryside."