Joint bid to promote York and North Yorkshire’s tourism

A joint bid is being submitted for York and North Yorkshire to promote the multi-billion-pound visitor economy.

Plans have been announced today (Thursday, September 28) for the bid for a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) to cover both York and North Yorkshire, which council bosses hope will “maximise the potential” of the tourism sector.

The move comes as the two councils prepare for the North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which will elect a mayor in May 2024.

The joint bid between North Yorkshire Council and Make it York, the city’s destination management organisation which is linked to City of York Council, has been submitted to Visit England.

York Minster from above (Image: Visit York)

A decision is expected from a panel involving tourism officials and representatives from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the end of October.

Tourism is worth more than £3.2 billion each year to York and North Yorkshire’s economy, and in excess of 60,000 workers are employed in the sector.

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North Yorkshire Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “The decision to submit a joint bid for York and North Yorkshire will allow us to pursue a co-ordinated approach to promoting the visitor economy and maximise the support that we can provide to the industry.

“It shows how a close working relationship is developing between the councils, which is due to increase further with the proposed devolution deal.

“We want as many people to experience the wonderful places where we live and work, as well as ensuring the communities of York and North Yorkshire are given the support they need to benefit from the visitor economy.”

City of York Council’s leader, Cllr Claire Douglas, said: “Tourism forms an important part of York’s economy, supporting thousands of jobs in our city. We want to ensure that our visitor economy continues to thrive in a sustainable way that benefits everyone - visitors, residents and businesses.

“We’re delighted to be working closely with North Yorkshire Council to promote our tourism offer. As we move towards a mayoral combined authority, it’s great to see this partnership flourishing.”

LVEPs involve both the private and public sectors and will need to follow a new national process to be eligible for support and potential funding from the Government.

North Yorkshire Council says established destinations in York and North Yorkshire, such as the coast, the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors, Harrogate and market towns, are due to be supported through the proposed LVEP.

A draft destination management plan for North Yorkshire and a proposed tourism strategy overseen by Make it York are forming the foundations for the bid.

Both documents are to be considered by the relevant council executives by the start of next year.