An official iPhone application has been launched for visitors to Yorkshire.

The tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire, has developed a free iPhone App (application) to tap into the growing iPhone market.

Over 85 million users can now download the Yorkshire App to get up-to-date information and plan a visit to the county.

The Welcome to Yorkshire iPhone App, which provides visitors with everything they need to know about the county in the palm of their hand, has been awarded a four-plus star rating from the App Store.

The official Yorkshire App locates a person’s position in Yorkshire and allows them to search for attractions and activities based on the distance to the location within a 30-mile radius.

It also has information on the weather, enabling people to plan the best activity for the weather conditions. Users can also build a bespoke list of favourite things to do using the ‘Favourites’ tab.

The Welcome to Yorkshire iPhone App also has Google Maps so users can pinpoint exact locations or use the What’s On feature to keep up to date with major events and festivals taking place in Yorkshire.

Gary Verity, the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, officially launched the App at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate yesterday.

He said: “Creating the region’s first official app means millions of people will be able to access Yorkshire in a way that is convenient to them. The App is so simple to use and packed full of information – it’s everything you need to know about Yorkshire in the palm of your hand.”

Apple claims over five billion Apps have been downloaded to date and Welcome to Yorkshire is hoping its official App will spread the word about Yorkshire across the UK and internationally.

Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £6.5 billion annually, while the region’s tourism industry employs a quarter of a million people.