Hull City Council’s It Must Be Hull campaign is set to see an advertising blitz to attract tourists, with special offers planned at local venues for diners and overnight visitors.

Council leader Daren Hale said the campaign aimed to boost a local visitor economy valued at around £350m as of 2019 and to tap into the coronavirus staycation boom.

The publicity drive, from the Visit Hull tourism board, comes as The Guardian featured Hull among a ranking of the top 10 UK destinations for city breaks.

Hull is also a host city for this year’s Rugby League World Cup and the campaign follows the recent reopening of The Deep, Hull New Theatre and Ferens Art Gallery.

Upcoming events also include The White Rabbit Trail which launched in May, shows at Hull Truck Theatre and the Bonus Arena and the Freedom Festival and Humber Street Sesh.

The Trinity Market street food and shopping destination has launched new offers and Ponto Lounge and Wrecking Ball, the latter a book shop, cafe and arts space, have also opened.

The campaign is set to feature social media posts highlighting local venues and destinations as well as adverts on radio and online.

Business will be able to post under the hashtag #MustBeHull, with locals also asked to post their favourite aspects of the city with it on social media.

Coun Hale said: “Hull used to be one of Britain’s best kept secrets, not anymore.

“In recent years, we’ve seen more and more people visit and fall in love with our city, which in turn has encouraged various businesses to invest in Hull and our tourism offer.

“With 2021 set to be another year where staycations are popular, this is a fantastic opportunity to show off our wonderful city and all the fantastic things it has to offer.”

The value of Hull’s visitor economy grew by 12 per cent from 2018 to 2019, from £313m to £350m.

Jodie Richardson, of the Old Town’s Hideout Hotel which recently won Channel 4’s Four in a Bed, said: “We’re thrilled Hideout is part of the Visit Hull campaign.

“We love showing our guests what the city has to offer and can’t wait to get the hotel filled up with leisure stays again.”

Holiday Inn Hull Marina Senior Sales Manager Nicola Shillito said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with, and to support, the Visit Hull campaign, to welcome visitors back to our wonderful city.

“This requires every effort, from every business, to ensure we offer a safe place for both local residents and visitors to the city, to ensure there is no hesitation when planning a visit, as we are vital to the success of this campaign.

“Our team cannot wait to welcome leisure visitors back for overnight stays and we know that by putting in the hard work to encourage overnight leisure breaks, it will benefit other businesses and tourist attractions too.”