A MAJOR marketing campaign is under way to show the world that York is back from the floods - as hoteliers call for help to beat a slump in bookings.

York's tourist business faces crisis because visitors, particularly from overseas, believe the city is still covered by floods.

But Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau, today confirmed a campaign which includes TV adverts, competitions and adverts in national newspapers to put York back on the map.

"We are acutely aware of the decrease in visitor numbers and the effect this has had on retailers, attractions, hoteliers, guest houses and other businesses," she said.

"We are working hard to create an immediate increase in visitor numbers to the city."

Hotel and guest house owners in the city told a meeting last night that holidaymakers from across the world are cancelling bookings for the rest of the year.

They heard that unless the publicity campaign succeeds, holidaymakers could avoid York entirely during the winter months in future because they fear they would become flood victims.

Julie Metts, of the Riverside Walk Guest House, said: "We are going to get another flood. And if it comes in quick succession, we are in big trouble."

She added that the city had defences and was used to dealing with floods,but if it failed to tell the world quickly each time that it was not flooded, tourism would die out in the winter.

Several people attacked the national and international media for covering the floods, but not reporting subsequently that the river level had dropped.

They told how visitors from Canada, Australia and elsewhere had seen television pictures of York and floods and rung to cancel forward bookings.

The meeting heard details of the meeting at the Evening Press offices to plan a strategy to promote the city after the floods and the York Tourism Bureau's efforts to do the same. Businesses have clubbed together under the slogan York's Here!, an effort to encourage traders from around the nation to restore their links with the city.