THE Country Land & Business Association (CLA) Game Fair at Broadlands, Romsey, in July, has netted the Hampshire economy £16m, according to a survey.

It was a must for country sports enthusiasts, countryside fans or those looking for a family day out.

Economic experts found the total spend associated with the show was £50m.

About £16m was spent outside the show itself, including local firms involved with setting it up.

According to the economic impact survey undertaken by The Market Research Group, a division of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research at Bournemouth University, a third of all visitors stayed in the area.

They travelled an average of 100 miles for the event.

It meant a cash injection for the area's hotels, pubs, guest houses, restaurants and shops.

David Birmingham, owner of Berties restaurant said: "It was a massive boost. I could have filled up my rooms 100 times over. The phone just wouldn't stop ringing. The restaurant was full for the entire period."

Liz Stevenson, landlady at the Sun Inn, in Winchester Road, said: "The rooms were booked up a year in advance. Our accommodation was full up. It's always a nice thing to bring into the town."

Katie Garland, manager at the Potters Heron hotel, in Romsey Road, added: "We were delighted to welcome the game fair to Romsey."

About £34m was spent inside the show - about three-and-a-half times the amount spent on a typical political party conference.

The fair was a chance for many Hampshire firms to sell their wares among the 1,000 exhibitors.

Producers The largest section of the regional food village was presented by Hampshire Fare, which brought 22 of its local craft, food and drink producers.

Hampshire Fare's Helen Trebble said: "It was a really significant event which raised the profile and got people talking about using local and seasonable fresh produce. Our producers picked up good extra custom from it."

Show director David Hough said: "We are delighted that in addition to the Game Fair being enjoyed by so many local visitors, our event has contributed in such a major financial way to the local economy."

Sarah Davis, Hampshire sub-region manager for Tourism South East, said high profile countryside events such as the Game Fair made a significant impact on the visitor economy.

She said: "This year's Game Fair was a real centrepiece of the county's countryside attraction and this £16m figure shows how important it is to the local economy."

The Game Fair rotates annually between four UK sites.