The study says attractions should encourage more local tourists

The Tourism in Cornwall study found that 93% of people in Cornwall have been to a local attraction in the past 12 to 18 months.

It is the first research in the county to discover what local people think about the industry's assets.

The study was commissioned by the rural tourism specialists Cartwheel, which is run by farmers.

Agri-tourism

It says 20% of people who visit the county come to see friends and relatives and many of them will go to attractions recommended by their hosts.

The company believes firms in the tourism sector should do more to encourage local people during the off peak seasons because "word of mouth" recommendations form a large part of their business.

Cartwheel was set up in 1999 and is partly funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the European Union.

The company uses money received under Objective One funding to offer grants to small and large rural businesses.

It estimates that more than �500m is generated for the South West economy as a result of rural tourism and says agri-tourism alone is worth �205m annually to farmers in the region.

Agri-tourism includes farm holidays which usually offer the opportunity to assist with farming tasks.