VISITORS to York are staying longer and spending more than ever before, it was revealed today.

York Tourism Bureau is celebrating the success of its winter marketing campaign Stay Just A Little Bit Longer, which has smashed the previous year's booking record by 24 per cent, with 1,106 bookings this year compared with 889 for 2002-03.

The campaign, which runs annually from November 1 to March 31, offers savings to visitors of up to 50 per cent if they extend their stay for three nights, in the off-peak season.

Four bands of accommodation, with prices starting at £59 per person for three nights in a B&B and increasing to £149 for three nights in one of York's four-star hotels, means there's a price to suit everyone and the benefits are spread widely over 50 large, medium and small accommodation providers.

New for this year was the addition of the silver band at £79, which has proved worthwhile with the total revenue for hotels and guesthouses up 32 per cent at £198,175, compared with £150,495 in 2002-03.

Extra spending on shopping, eating out and evening entertainment puts the approximate additional income for this campaign at an impressive £218,676.

The total campaign value to York is £416,209, which represents a £30 return on investment on the pound, from the campaign budget of £14,000.

Research by the bureau shows that 66,105 web user sessions directly relating to the campaign were recorded this year, compared with only 16,405 from 2002-03 - up by 49,700. Similarly, more visitors used email to book their accommodation this year, with 865 online bookings compared with only 368 the year before.

The campaign was promoted through leaflet distribution, national newspaper advertising, pay per click advertising on the internet, inserts in rail magazines, York Tourism Bureau websites and publications, banner advertising, teletext and cross selling in the tourist information centres, as well as extensive press and PR activity.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said: "We're delighted with the success of the Stay Just A Little bit Longer campaign in its second year.

"The introduction of the silver band has further widened the choice for the visitor, and catering to all pockets is important in York, as it is most definitely a hot destination for the younger crowd as well as for our loyal older visitors."

Updated: 11:05 Tuesday, May 18, 2004