James Herriot brought the wonder of the Yorkshire Dales to millions, and the Brontës revelled in the crags and mists of their native Pennines. The North York Moors, on a rather less grand scale, had ITV's Heartbeat and PC Nick Rowan patrolling Goathland to the strains of Buddy Holly.

Now, after decades of remaining quietly out of the national spotlight, the gentle hillsides and country lanes of the Yorkshire Wolds are preparing for a deluge of attention brought on by interest in David Hockney's latest paintings. A carefully chosen "trail" of the Bradford-born artist's favourite spots is to be launched by the county tourist board in the spring. And, from Kilham to Kiplingcotes, locals are rubbing their hands in glee.

"I think the world's gone a bit Hockney mad at the moment," said Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire. He believes the Royal Academy's A Bigger Picture exhibition is a "great advertisement for Yorkshire".

"The spotlight that will come back on to Yorkshire and those parts of Yorkshire as a result of this shouldn't be underestimated. I would think that you will see, over the course of this year and probably going on beyond that, a big 'Hockney effect', if you want to call it that, in terms of visitor numbers."

Chief among plans to make the most of the interest is the Hockney trail, a tour of the landscape dreamed up by the tourist board and the artist himself. It is expected to take in locations including the coastal town of Bridlington, where he is based, Thixendale, the scene of several major paintings, and Garrowby Hill, a gateway to the Wolds that has featured in his work.

Andrew Denton, of Welcome to Yorkshire, said that, while eager to take part, Hockney's team wanted to "minimise intrusion" into his daily life. "David and his team were initially nervous about the idea; after all, David is still very much alive and living in the area – it's not the same as doing a Constable trail in Suffolk, for instance."

"However, he recognised that his work would inevitably create interest in his part of Yorkshire – I think he would have been disappointed if it hadn't."

David Berry, co-owner of the five-star Kilham Hall country house, said he was looking forward to a Hockney-led tourist boom, much like that brought to the Dales by the hit TV series All Creatures Great and Small. Despite an often-expressed view, uttered by Hockney himself, that there was little to do in the Wolds besides marvel at the scenery, Berry said visitors were always pleasantly surprised to discover the shops of Beverley, for example, or the antiquities of Sledmere country house. Two groups of Hockney fans had already come to stay, he said, including a couple from Germany who had even discovered the painter's house in Bridlington. They knocked, but he was out, said Berry.

Verity said: "I would imagine that it's not impossible that over time the Wolds will become as well known as the Dales and other parts of Yorkshire … because of the Hockney effect. Now the spotlight will turn from being on the Dales and other places, to the Wolds."