Ongoing uncertainty around Covid-19 has led organisers to move the Visit York Tourism Conference to an online event.

Make It York has announced that the event, due to take place at York Racecourse on January 13, will now be virtual, with keynote speakers available to see online from 9.30am to 11.30am.

The decision was made after the government’s most senior public health adviser  Dr Susan Hopkins warned that Britain’s wave of Omicron infections could reach 1m a day by the end of December.

The line-up of expert tourism speakers will remain the same for the online event, and will be compered by BBC Look North & BBC Radio York Presenter Clare Frisby.

Sarah Loftus, the newly-appointed managing director of Make It York, who will welcome delegates and speakers, said: “We’re disappointed to not be holding the Visit York Tourism Conference in-person as planned in January, but the safety of our delegates, speakers and staff must come first.

"The uncertainty regarding current concerns over the Omicron variant meant that it was looking increasingly unlikely that we’d be able to hold the networking event we had envisaged, with further complexities due to our programme of overseas speakers.

"We want as many people as possible to enjoy our stellar line-up of speakers, taking the event online allows us to do this in the safest way possible.”

Guest speakers include Signe Jungersted and Peter Rømer Hansen, founding partners of Group NAO who have put together an in-depth report to explore the opportunities for York’s visitor economy.

Presenting on their findings, they will discuss how the tourism industry can work together to develop and deliver a bigger, broader and bolder tourism strategy for the city post-covid.

Joining them will be Richard Nicholls, head of research and forecasting at VisitBritain; and Aileen Crawford, head of tourism & conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau.

A panel of tourism businesses including Abbi Ollive, head of marketing and sales at Castle Howard; Andrew Lowson, executive director at York BID; Rebecca Hill, managing director at Galtres Lodge; and a guest speaker from LNER will also share their vision for the visitor economy and how we take a more holistic approach to York as a destination.

Delegates will also hear the latest insights and market trends from Visit Britain on the return of international tourism and learn more from Glasgow Convention Bureau on how business tourism can take the lead on a city’s sustainability strategy.

People involved have been contacted and informed of the change to the event.

For those who purchased tickets, they will be automatically refunded. All existing delegates will be automatically signed up to the online conference and will receive the log-in details a few days prior to the event.