In his regular column, DAVID ANDREWS, chief executive of York-based Yorkshire Tourist Board takes a look at the changes ahead for tourism service delivery and encourages local businesses to have a say in their future.

EASTER is just around the corner, daffodils are out around the city walls and the sun is shining.

A new season is getting underway. But for tourism in and around York, the season is not the only thing changing.

Change is the topic on everyone's lips in tourism these days. Since strategic responsibility for regional tourism was devolved to Yorkshire Forward in 2003, the industry has eagerly awaited news of the nature of radical changes to tourism service delivery promised by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.

Now, following a series of research projects carried out by consultants and funded by Yorkshire Forward, have revealed a new tourism delivery structure for Yorkshire and the Humber.

What remains to be decided is whether this is what the industry wants. The structure proposes a new regional marketing body, referred to as Yorkshire Tourism, which could be a revamped Yorkshire Tourist Board, retaining existing skills and knowledge, or a totally new organisation created from scratch.

Both these options would be supported by four Destination Management Organisations, one of which would be York and North Yorkshire.

The time has come at long last to find out what tourism businesses large and small think about how our industry is best served.

That's what tourism is all about. Customer focus. Normally the visitor is the customer, but for those of us responsible for providing services to the industry, from business advice to international marketing, our customers are also tourism businesses and local authorities.

Here at YTB, we already know the importance of customer service, that's why we were the first company in the region to be awarded Servicemark Gold, the region's highest customer service achievement, an award sponsored by Yorkshire Forward.

Our campaigns are developed in line with the needs of the industry and the visitor - an approach we know works for the industry and the consumer.

That's why the Yorkshire Visitor Guide 2003 generated a total of £56.6million for the region. This was thanks in no small part to the Yorkshire Forward-funded Britain's Biggest Break campaign, which saw £1.9million creating £24million of additional revenue on top of the £32.6million generated by YTB's own £212,000 campaign.

That is why consulting the industry is a must. Who better to take advice from than the experienced people who make their living from tourism?

What is needed now is for the industry to let its voice be heard. Now is the time to express opinions. Stay silent and the opportunity will be lost. Everyone in tourism has a duty to log on to www.yorkshireforward.com, Yorkshire Forward's website and download the consultation questionnaire from the tourism section. If you don't make your views known, you can't criticise the outcome.

Updated: 09:41 Tuesday, March 23, 2004