The government is backing a £500,000 rural marketing campaign to bring overseas visitors to Yorkshire.

Chancellor George Osborne unveiled the funding as part of a government package to support tourism, cycling and the arts.

Mr Osborne made the announcement during during a visit to the Grassington National Park Centre as he set out a long-term economic plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.

The government hopes drawing more visitors to the area's national parks and cities will increase overseas visitors to the region by 25% by 2020.

Doing so could deliver 2,500 new tourism jobs, it says.

Mr Osborne said: "Yorkshire has a unique culture and sense of identity, something with is renowned up and down the country.

"As part of our long-term economic plan for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, today I am committing funding that will boost tourism, create jobs and attract major cultural and sporting events."

The Grassington National Park Centre was a spectator hub for last year's successful Tour de France which drew thousands of spectators to Yorkshire.

Mr Osborne set out his aspiration to cement the county as the home of British cycling ahead of the highly anticipated Tour de Yorkshire this summer.

A further £1 million investment would support a cultural festival in 2016, building on the success of Yorkshire's first festival in 2014, he said.

The government would boost the region's cycling legacies infrastructure with £450,000 towards creating a new cycle gateway to the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

This project would transform a 2.5 mile section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, centred around Skipton, helping to create a cycle gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

In addition, the government would support the arts with £1.5 million towards the refurbishment of the Ferens Gallery in Hull.

This would help support Hull's aspiration to host the Turner prize as part of the UK City of Culture programme in 2017 and to help create a lasting cultural legacy.