Figures published by the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) have revealed that tourism revenue contributed more than £300m to the Swansea Bay region during 2008.

Attractions, including the National Waterfront Museum, the Gower Heritage Centre and the LC leisure complex, helped to pull in more than 4.1 million tourists to the area, which was reflected in a 5 per cent increase in visitor expenditure compared with the previous year. Graham Thomas, Swansea Council's cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism, said: "These figures are very encouraging and are a welcome reward for the time and dedication that tourism operators put into their businesses.

"The Swansea Bay area has a very proud history and our natural and built landscapes are some of many reasons people have visited Swansea Bay in the past and continue to book for future visits." Developed in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, STEAM is a mathematical model that has been adopted by a number of local authorities across the UK to monitor all aspects of tourism activity, including visitor numbers and expenditure.