A TOP British tourism chief today warned York to brace itself for the jarring effect of a travel slump in the wake of the terrorist outrages in the U.S.

Joss Croft, manager of strategic partnerships at the British Tourist Authority, told a gathering of tourism representatives that York was bound to be hit hard by loss in visitor revenue estimated at about £800 million nationally.

"That's bound to be so when you take into account that 50 per cent of revenue volume from overseas visitors in York comes from U.S. tourists," he told the annual meeting of the York Tourism Bureau, at St William's College, in York.

With foot and mouth disease, the attacks in U.S. will now take a toll on the British tourism economy of about £2.5 billion this year, he said, and urged tourism operators in York to "review your costs without affecting the high standards which are necessary if Britain is to continue to successfully sell itself in a competitive market."

He also called on them to "be flexible" by not turning away one-night bookings, for instance.

His speech came after a rallying cry by Andrew Scott, chairman of York Tourism Bureau, who praised the Bureau for holding the line against floods, rail crises and foot and mouth disease, and called for a ten-year strategy to ensure the continuing and growing excitement of the product which the city had to offer.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the Bureau, reported that although visitor spend for 2000 was slightly down on 1999 - by three per cent - York "stood strong" as one of Britain's favourite tourist destinations.

Since April last year, there was a seven per cent increase in accommodation bookings, many of them handled by the Tourist Information Centre at the De Grey Rooms.

"During a year which has thrown unforeseeable difficulties in the way of all tourism businesses, the city's tourism bureau has fought back against amazing odds."

This was helped by the launch of a website, development of the York Pass visitor "swipe card" and a new "live the history" branding for the city.

After two major campaigns, first after the flooding and the second to counteract the effects of foot and mouth, the third and final campaign was being launched this week to attract more visitors to York in the off-peak season of the run-up to Christmas.

Special promotions like the October to April First Stop York By Train Campaign, which offered half-price admission into York's attractions, were aimed at developing off-peak business.

While day visitors for the 2000 campaign were down on 1999, accommodation offers saw a dramatic increase in overnight stays - with 47 per cent more bed nights than the previous year.

The Bureau's conference desk lured £4000,000 worth of conference business to the city, with bookings up by five per cent on last year and inquiries up by eight per cent.

Updated: 10:19 Wednesday, October 03, 2001