New figures have revealed who are our biggest spending tourists – as well as recording a drop in footfall on one of York’s key streets.
Data from Visit Britain showed visitors from the USA ranked first in terms of spend in North Yorkshire, followed by those from Australia, Ireland, China and Canada.
A report on tourism in York stated the it was worth £1.82bn in 2023, with 1.3m out of around 9m coming to the city from overseas.
The figures were included in the yearly report on the performance of Make It York, the body which oversees tourism and events in the city.
A total of 9.03m visitors came to York last year, up 2% compared to 2022.
Footfall totals for the whole of York reached almost 2.5m from April to June.
The total for Parliament Street was 1.8m, 4% down from the same time last year.
Footfall in Micklegate rose by 16 per cent to 711,000, partly due to the demolition of the Queen Street Bridge which saw pedestrians take alternative routes and local events.
The Snooks Trail, an event themed around characters created by Yorkshire-based illustrator Sian Ellis run in partnership with St Leonard’s Hospice from March to April, made a £27,000 profit.
Make It York’s total pre-tax profit for the 2023-4 financial year was £297,618.
Key dates
The report also set out the dates of upcoming events in York.
The Yorkshire Halloween Festival is set to be held in the city from Thursday, October 24 to Friday, November 1.
It is set to host artisan traders and offer interactive craft activies for families with an autumnal and Halloween theme, along with a tipi offering sensory and inclusive events.
This year’s Christmas Market is set to run for 39 days from Thursday, 14 November to Sunday, 22 December.
A total of 75 chalets are set to feature during the event, along with 10 street food vendors and three serving mulled wine.
Make It York has also been working with City of York Council on a ‘Safe Space venue’ scheme.
The report stated it would be a national first for improving accessibility to large-scale events, subject to securing funding.
Make It York is also working on events for next year designed to appeal to both visitors and residents, including with a special programme of markets according to the report.