Visitors ploughed nearly £310m into a district coffers, supporting more than 4,200 jobs.

But more needs to be done to improve transport if those figures are continue to grow and build a brighter financial future.

Those were among the stand-out issues from a conference which attracted pivotal players in the visitor industry.

The Eden Tourism Summit heard that 4.77 million visitors made their way to the district in 2016, generating £309.41m.

That economic impact was up more than £9m on the year before as the area appears to enjoy renewed popularity, with tourism an increasingly important plank of the area's fabric.

More than 100 delegates attended the event at Askham Hall, near Penrith, where the focus was on discussing how the area can continue to exceed visitors' expectations.

Speakers from the world of transport and tourism highlighted how they can join forces with tourism to better meet the needs of travellers.

Those who addressed the conference included Stephen Smith, general manager of Carlisle Airport, where there are hopes that scheduled passenger flights to London and Dublin could take off from next summer.

Eden Council's tourism team organised the event on behalf of the Eden Tourism Network.

Others included Stephen Joseph, executive director of the Campaign for Better Transport.

What they said is likely to influence how businesses unite to lure more visitors to the county and how best they can travel while here.

Richard Nicholls, head of research and forecasting at national tourism group VisitBritain, travelled from London to the conference.

Highlighting the importance of Eden and wider Cumbria, he said: “It was great to be back speaking in such an important area for British tourism.

"In 2016 in-bound visits staying in Cumbria reached a new record of 288,000, with these visitors spending £92m."

A series of workshops saw delegates share ideas and best practice on transport and tourism.

They included input from the Ramblers Association and Sustrans, who jointly hosted a walking and cycling seminar; The Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Partnership and Virgin Trains.

Historic England, meanwhile, highlighted how heritage is integral to the visitor journey.

The conference was the sixth to be held annually in Eden.

Businessman Jim Walker, chairman of the Eden Tourism Network, said: “The summit was a brilliant day for businesses attending from throughout Eden and the surrounding area.

"Now a firm date in the tourism calendar, the Eden Tourism Summit aims to bring the best national and regional presentations right to the doorstep of local businesses so there is no need for long journeys to distant cities to gain the latest briefings on the best ways to improve business performance."

Others at the conference included Eden Council leader Kevin Beaty, Cumbria Tourism research manager Helen Tate and Lindsey Bishop, a hotel and restaurant inspector for the AA.

Jessica Goodfellow, Eden Council’s joint tourism manager, said: "I would encourage businesses who have attended the summit and want to learn more about visitor economy to join the network."