TORY MP Owen Paterson threw his weight behind attempts to boost tourism in rural areas during a visit to the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington, near York.
The Conservative spokesman on rural affairs was joined by Euro MP Timothy Kirkhope, who recently campaigned to get one of the retired Concorde aeroplanes for the museum.
Both men praised the work of volunteers who have reconstructed a Halifax bomber at Elvington, a major base for raids over the continent during the Second World War.
Mr Paterson said: "I am most impressed by the initiatives which are leading to a large increase in tourism in Yorkshire. This region has much to offer in this regard and we want to do everything possible to increase visitors."
Mr Kirkhope said: "We now have peace in Europe, but there was a high price paid by thousands of young men who flew from Yorkshire to protect our way of life 60 years ago.
"We have the responsibility now to preserve peacefully what they won for us then."
Updated: 08:17 Wednesday, May 26, 2004
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