CROWDS of tourists were filling the streets of York again today after hearing the message that the city is open for business despite the foot and mouth crisis.

The drive to keep York's tourist trade alive looked to be paying off as, midway through this make-or-break Easter weekend, visitors thronged to the city's attractions.

People's continuing confusion over whether it is safe to visit the countryside brought a boost to numbers heading for York.

A York Tourism Bureau spokesman said: "Walkers and hikers who would otherwise have gone to the countryside are descending on this medieval city in their droves, and cafs, pubs, bars, restaurants and shops are all reporting excellent trade. Hotels and guest houses are reporting one of their busiest Easters ever."

The Government today said it was "very encouraged" by the start to Easter weekend with better-than-expected visitor numbers at attractions around the country.

Ministers believe the message that the countryside is "open for business" has been getting through as figures for Good Friday suggested many tourist spots were doing even better than in previous years.

But research by the English Tourism Council has revealed there is still a lack of public confidence in the countryside despite a hard-hitting campaign by the Government and the tourism industry.

Most people believe the countryside is still open for business but feel they should stay away from any part of Britain affected by foot and mouth disease.

In York, there was still concern that overseas visitors, particularly from the United States, were still being deterred by the foot and mouth crisis.

Meanwhile, tourist hotspots across North Yorkshire were showing signs of getting back on track after some brisk Good Friday trade.

The honeypot attractions of Scarborough and Whitby both reported a surge in tourism.

Updated: 10:23 Saturday, April 14, 2001