A gateway to the new world was launched today by key businesses and public sector organisations throughout York.

Launching the Gateway To York are, from left, Kel Fidler, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of York University; James Houston, managing director of the York Multimedia Network; Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau; Hilary Layton, PRO of York University; Paul Murphy, chief executive of York Inward Investment Board; Kriss Fearon, web co-ordinator, York University; Jane Sampson, editor, BBC Radio York; Brian Lawrence, North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council; Peter Berry, City of York Council; Andrew Stevenson, Science City, York; Peter Lyddon, chapter clerk, York Minster and Liz Page, editor, Evening Press

A consortium of major organisations has created a one-stop Internet site offering virtual visitors from home and abroad a portal into all the online information they need if they are thinking of moving to York, setting up a business in the city or visiting as tourists. Gateway To York (www.yorkgateway.co.uk) will help the city move into the new Millennium with an open-all-hours World Wide Web site.

The new site will provide a shop window into 13 key individual web sites which are already well-established and feature city business agencies, the council, university and other public sector bodies.

Gateway To York is designed as an entry-point to sites displaying all that York has to offer in terms of business, leisure, education and tourism opportunities.

Peter Berry, City of York Council's assistant chief executive (marketing and corporate affairs), said: "York Gateway is significant because it is a partnership between key organisations in the city combining to ensure the best possible position for York on the World Wide Web.

"This will enable people across the world to have easy access to information about the city perhaps with a view to increasing the city's jobs prospects, tourism trade and inward investment.

"It is also important because it reinforces the culture in the city for all sorts of groups and agencies to work together in partnership as we have seen in initiatives such as Science City."

Gateway To York has been designed by York & County Press, publishers of the Evening Press and the This Is York web site. City of York Council, York Inward Investment Board, College of Ripon and York St John and York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce are among the partners in the initiative. Other members of the consortium include Minster FM, York Minster, York Multi-Media Network, First Stop York/York Tourism Bureau, Science City, York University, North Yorkshire Training and Enterprise Council and BBC Radio York.

Hilary Layton, of the University of York, said: "We have all given our time in order to establish this site. It has required no major investment so it is cost-effective as well as efficient."

Gateway to York: www.yorkgateway.co.uk

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