Don't abandon the English Tourist Board, a York tourist chief has warned the Government.

Denise Howard, chairman of York Tourism Bureau, told its annual meeting that in the new Department of Culture, Media and Sport, replacing the Department of National Heritage, headed by Minister Chris Smith the ETB should remain as an effective co-ordinating body for tourism.

"We are in the ludicrous position that both the Scottish and Welsh tourist boards have funding and authority to promote overseas, but ETB cannot.

"This anomaly not only undermines the effectiveness of the ETB, but diminishes the role of the British Tourism Authority which has to contend with a unique role for England."

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the YTB told the annual meeting at the National Railway Museum that -

While visitors to the Tourist Information Centre in George Hudson Street, York, decreased by 20 per cent to 150,000, revenue generated increased by 29 per cent to £250,000. During the summer it handled 10,000 telephone queries per month.

York Tourism Bureau increased operating turnover this year by about £53,000 which was ploughed back into marketing the city.

Public relations funded by First Stop York, York Tourism 2000 and the Bureau generated £300,000 worth of media coverage on York

The Bureau's new marketing manager, Craig Wilson, has launched a new marketing campaign in Scandinavia, intensified activity in the US market and identified ways of targeting the domestic market

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.