York Christmas Market has been hailed as a success by its organisers, but visitors said they wanted crowd management to be improved.
Figures from organiser Make It York showed visitor numbers rose by 7% compared to 2023, with a footfall count in Parliament Street of more than 1.2m.
A report from the tourism and events body stated the Christmas market had performed extremely well financially and it had helped to put York among the UK’s leading winter destinations.
But almost a third of visitors, 31 per cent, surveyed by Make It York said it was too busy while more than a fifth said it should be spread out.
It comes after City of York Council’s transport spokesperson Cllr Kate Ravilious said she was open to looking at spreading out the market in 2025.
It followed calls for change amid safety concerns and from disabled people whose access to city centre Blue Badge parking spaces was restricted due to visitor numbers.
Make It York has said it looks at how to improve the layout every year when planning the market and alternations had been made to try and address overcrowding concerns.
Some will return
The organiser’s survey of 103 visitors showed satisfaction in the Christmas market, which ran from November to December stood at around three out of five on average.
Half of those surveyed were very or fairly satisfied with the event compared to 40% who were somewhat or wholly dissatisfied and 10% who were neutral.
Half said they were very or quite likely to come to the market in winter this year while more than three quarters had been to previous Christmas markets.
Almost three quarters of people who visited York city centre while the market was running said they were there either solely or partly to visit it.
Stopping overcrowding was the most popular area for improvement suggested by those surveyed, followed by spreading the market out.
Almost one fifth, 18%, of people said the variety of stalls should be improved while 13% said there should be more seating.
Around one in 10 people, 8%, thought prices should be lower with 7% saying work was needed to stop queues blocking access.
More than a fifth said the market was better than last year, with a quarter disagreeing and 55 per cent neutral.
Three quarters agreed the market was important for the city, with 46% saying it was fun for all the family.
Almost two fifths, 38 per cent, said it was positive for their wellbeing, compared to 39 per cent who said it wasn’t and 23 per cent who were neutral.
Festive atmosphere
The festive atmosphere and the variety of stalls and products ranked were the features people liked the most, according to 54 and 43 per cent of respondents respectively.
Half of those surveyed travelled to the market by car or van while around a quarter walked, 23% arrived by train and 18% used buses.
Of those who travelled by car or van, 36% parked in city centre car parks and 24 per cent stopped at a park and ride.
A fifth left their vehicles are hotels or bed and breakfasts.
Almost a third of visitors to the market, 31 per cent, were from York, with 60% coming from Yorkshire as a whole.
Visitors also came from Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Scotland and Jersey, among others.
A total of 13 complaints were lodged with Make It York regarding the market in connection with its closure due to Storm Darragh, seating, rubbish, congestion and Blue Badge access.
Make It York’s report stated the market had contributed to the city being ranked the UK’s third most festive city by train operator LNER, after Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
It added the increase in visitor numbers was partly down to improvements in recording footfall but data showed the totals remain above pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
The report stated: “York Pass, the Shambles Market and the Christmas Market have all performed extremely well this year, which aligns with more visitors to the city.”