A SURVEY has revealed that the CLA Game Fair brought almost £16 million worth of economic benefit to the area around Romsey when it came to Broadlands last summer.

The event attracted 138,000 people and the Economic Impact Survey was conducted by the Market Research Group, a division of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (Bournemouth University).

It has put the figure generated outside the show site at a massive £15.68 million and a Game Fair spokesperson said in a statement: "This amount was generated as a result of the significant amount spent with local firms as part of the show set up, as well as the event period itself.

"The 32 per cent of visitors who attended the show and stayed in the area - 80 per cent of them spent two or more nights in the area - spent large sums of money with pubs, hotels, guest houses, restaurants, shops and a wide selection of other businesses."

The survey also revealed that £33.95 million was spent inside the showground.

Many Hampshire firms were also among the traders who exhibited at the fair and the largest section of the busy Regional Food Village was put on by Hampshire Fare.

The event's Totally Food Show, which included cooking demonstrations, was also run by Hampshire Fare.