Last resort or voyage of delight? Get a breath of fresh Aire on our video tour of Leeds

Yesterday as the red open-top bus made its way around the city's streets there were one or two puzzled looks from passers-by but the bus, together with a River Aire cruise boat, will become a familiar feature during the summer months.

Each year Leeds attracts 14 million visitors who between them spend 1bn and it is hoped the double-decker bus will give them an introduction to the city and perhaps inspire them to visit more of its attractions.

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said: "This is a great opportunity for Leeds to showcase our visitor attractions and highlight the fascinating history of the city."

He said he had been asked: "Is there enough to see in Leeds to justify one of these?"

"My response is if Norwich can have one then you have got your answer, " he added.

The 12-stop tour takes in the Royal Armouries and Clarence Dock, Millennium Square, Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute, Corn Exchange, Victoria Quarter and the city's shopping centre, with visitors able to hop on and off at any stop.

Tours cost 7.50 for an adult ticket which is valid for 24 hours, includes a commentary and takes around an hour.

For those that think they know the city it does give the chance to learn a little bit about its history and buildings. And residents of the city may see a view of Leeds that its they have never experienced before.

It makes passengers sat on the top deck realise how they just look ahead all the time, rather than taking in the tops of buildings. Kirkgate Market's roof, with its ornate architecture, is quite a revelation.

Our tour began at Clarence Dock, home of the Royal Armouries and various offices, shops and restaurants.

Soon we left the area and turn into Hunslet where we learned about the Middleton Railway and the city's industrial heritage.

We then passed Tetley's Brewery, which the commentator poignantly informs us is due to close.

Throughout the trip there were plenty of interesting facts and figures, with many new to those on the bus.

We were told how Briggate was built over 800 years ago, learned about how gravestones had to be moved at a church when a railway embankment was built and discovered how Britain's first permanent traffic lights were installed on Park Row, at the junction with Bond Street.

However, there are some elements of the commentary that may need tweaking if the new coalition Government makes changes to its spending plans as it mentioned how the city is set to get a new trolleybus system – a plan which is being reviewed as ministers look to make deep public spending cuts.

Zarif Amin, of Mumtaz, a restaurant based at Clarence Dock, hopes the bus tour, which links into a boat trip taking visitors along the River Aire from Clarence Dock to Brewery Wharf and onto Granary Wharf, will bring more visitors to an area that currently seems a bit cut-off from the city centre.

Rachel Farr, of Jet2.com, who was at yesterday's launch, said: "It was a very good experience to see the city from a different angle and, from a tourist point of view, it's easy for our visitors coming in and it gives them a good starting point to see the city."

The service will initially be trialled over the summer but could be expanded if successful.

The bus will run six times each day from May 22 until September 26 and the Leeds City Cruises will run every weekend from May 22 to September 26, and every day throughout August.

Tickets for the bus will cost 7.50 for an adult, 3.75 for children, 5.50 for students and seniors and 17 for a family ticket.

Leeds City Cruises tickets will cost 3 for an adult, 1.50 for children, 2 for students and seniors and a 6.50 for a family.