IT'S hard getting used to all this new-fangled technology, particularly when you're a refugee from the Middle Ages.

But Richard III - actually museum manager Mike Bennett - was willing to try out the latest in high-tech tourism.

Over 30 of York's tourism attractions, including the Richard III Museum at Monk Bar, are this week being fitted with the latest swipe card technology in the run up to the launch of The York Pass.

The York Pass, a new tourism smart card, is being launched on July 16, by Jeff Hamblin, chief executive of the British Tourist Authority, at York's City Screen.

The ground-breaking pass is a first for York, and once purchased will offer visitors unlimited access over one two or three days to more than 30 attractions - from historic houses to river trips.

Mike said: "The Richard III Museum is delighted to be part of this innovative project.

"We firmly believe that The York Pass will benefit tourism in the city by showing just how much there is to see and do. Many visitors to York can miss out on the Richard III Museum because they simply don't know where we are.

"The York Pass will encourage visitors to pack in more to their visits, it will encourage visitors to explore the city as well as taking in the main attractions."

The pass is a 256-byte memory chip smart card. The chip can monitor visits made, thus providing crucial information for research purposes.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau said: "By using the smart card technology we can gain valuable research information. We will be able to work out, for example, if Jorvik is the most popular attraction with American visitors or if the National Railway Museum is the most popular with our German visitors.

"This information that is fed back to us will dramatically affect our future marketing campaigns."

- A web site where passes can be purchased will go live this month at www.yorkpass.com, and telephone orders can be taken on 0870 242 9988.

Updated: 16:51 Wednesday, July 04, 2001