TOURISM bosses estimated the Radio 1 Big Weekend has brought £1.7 million into the local tourism economy over the two days of the festival.

Businesses saw a boost in bookings for the music event held at Powderham Castle.

And the benefits to the wider economy could be as much as £3.5 million as a result of the festival, backing figures suggested by both Teignbridge Council and Exeter City Council.

Sarah Stride, acting general manager for Visit South Devon, said: ‘The national hype around Radio 1’s Big Weekend has certainly put Exeter, Teignbridge and south Devon on the map for a new generation of visitors. 

‘Thousands of people up and down the country have Powderham and Exeter at the forefront of their mind and that has to be good for tourism in the long run.

‘Our hope is that this will create a legacy with many return visitors coming to the local area and thousands of new visitors choosing to stay in Teignbridge and south Devon having seen the amazing footage of Powderham and the stunning backdrop of the Exe estuary.’

Businesses in the surrounding area reported an increase in bookings.

At Cofton Country Holidays, before the release of the tickets, only 11 bookings had been taken for that weekend.

After the tickets were released, it took 196 bookings for Saturday and Sunday with many visitors choosing to stay on longer into half term week.

The overflow camping area saw more than 25 groups staying for the weekend.

William McElligott, from Red House bed and breakfast in Starcross, said: ‘We had up to three calls a day enquiring about accommodation for Radio 1’s Big Weekend. 

‘To help deal with demand we even used family bedrooms to accommodate our guests, and that’s something that we’ve never done before.’

Andrew Bulpin, of Leadstone Camping in Dawlish Warren, commented: ‘The weekend gone was certainly busier than last year. 

‘We were pretty much fully booked including 12 three-night bookings from customers attending the Powderham event.’

Teignbridge Council leader Cllr Jeremy Christophers said: ‘It’s been a memorable weekend for the people of Teignbridge and one which has truly put our wonderful region on the national stage.

‘In years to come, this will still be the talk of Teignbridge and it’s a proud chapter in our local history.

‘Such a huge event would not have been possible without the support of our residents, local businesses and staff who have all played their part in the success of this event.

‘Looking around at all the happy faces, we can safely say that our investment paid off.

‘The whole event was about trying to reach out to our young people and saying “we don’t want you to leave, we want you to stay here and live and work in our district”.’

Teignbridge Council joined forces with Exeter City Council to fund the event to the tune of £100,000 from each authority.