New tourism plan to fill Welcome to Yorkshire gap

The Bolton Abbey estate in the Yorkshire Dales is owned by the Duke of Devonshire

A new tourism plan has been signed off in an attempt to replace the promotional support provided by the defunct Welcome to Yorkshire agency.

Visitors will be encouraged to stay overnight and spend more money as part of the 10-year strategy that was approved by North Yorkshire Council at a meeting earlier.

It includes a target to ensure a quarter of tourists stay in the county for at least one night by 2034.

Mark Crane, the lead councillor responsible for business, said: "The visitor economy in North Yorkshire is worth over £4bn, so obviously is a very significant part of our economy."

Councils have had to provide their own tourism services since the collapse of Welcome to Yorkshire

The meeting heard that tourism supported more than 38,000 jobs in North Yorkshire - more than 10% of the working age population.

Since Welcome to Yorkshire's collapse in 2022, councils have had to provide their own tourism services and Visit North Yorkshire has gone into partnership with Make It York.

The strategy includes targeting visitors from the East Midlands, the South East and overseas markets such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Mr Crane said tourism - with the jobs it created and the money it brought to the local economy - was a sector to be taken seriously.

He said a "vibrant" visitor economy attracted investment into North Yorkshire, as well as supporting businesses directly within the tourism trade.

Mr Crane added: "With the launch of North Yorkshire Council last year, this has provided us with the first opportunity to have a countywide strategy to promote the visitor economy.

“There will be a new approach to supporting the growth of the visitor economy – one which recognises the area’s scale and character and reflects the diversity and distinctiveness of our county."

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