Issued by City of York Council
City of York Council and Visit York are asking residents and businesses for their views and ideas on how the city’s tourism industry should develop in the future. This three-month consultation on a new five-year plan is being launched to help grow one of York’s most successful and enduring industries.
Councillor Sonja Crisp, City of York Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “Seven million visitors come to York every year which brings £443 million into the local economy and supports 23,000 jobs. Tourism is one of our most enduring and vibrant industries and impacts on everyone living in York.
“Besides meeting our commitment to create jobs and grow the economy, we want York to attract a larger share of the city break market, encourage more people to stay one or two nights longer in the city and encourage more visitors to come in the winter months.”
Jane Lady Gibson, Chairman of Visit York, said “As visitors look for good value and overseas city breaks become increasingly affordable, now more than ever before York is faced with increased competition. Recognising the need for a shared ambition for tourism across the city and its surroundings, and to fulfil council priorities to create jobs and grow the economy, Visit York – one of the UK’s most successful destination management organisations – and City of York Council are jointly consulting with the industry, visitors and residents to create a new five-year tourism strategy to ensure the long term success of tourism for the city.”
During this year’s Residents’ Festival from 26 and 27 January – established as an annual thank you for the warm welcome residents give visitors – residents can fill in questionnaires at the Mansion House, York Explore, and at the Festival Information Point and the West Offices – the council’s new home.
Residents can also find questionnaires at the Visitor Information Centre at 1 Museum Street and Visit York’s marquee in Parliament Street. After the Festival, questionnaires can continue to be picked up from York Explore and at the Visitor Information Centre.
Residents will be asked three key questions:
- How do you feel tourism affects you, as a York resident, both positively and negatively?
- What words would you use to describe York, to encourage your friends or relatives to come and visit?
- How do you think we can improve York’s leisure and tourism offer, for both visitors and residents, in the future (for example in ten years time)?
Please email comments to [email protected] or go to www.york.gov.uk to return an online survey. Please submit comments by Monday 18 February 2013.
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