Tourism bosses in York today predicted an economic boost from news that another major company has gone global on the World Wide Web.

York-based rail company GNER has launched itself on the Internet, allowing tourists from overseas to arrange travel plans without setting foot outside their own homes.

Virtually all travel and tourism companies in York, large and small, now have a presence on the net.

Tourism chiefs said it was an increasingly popular way of finding out about York before a visit, especially among Americans.One York business said launching on the Internet paid for itself within a week.

David McClure, owner of the Rockwell Rooms restaurant/tearoom in Stonegate, said: "We launched a web site and within a week a party from Leeds had seen it and come over for a big meal."

He plans to add a virtual tour of the Rockwell Rooms to the 29-page web site.

The GNER web site includes an "interactive timetable" of services. Net surfers type in the details of the start and end points of their journey, and when they want to travel, and the web site offers a selection of trains.

Although it is not yet possible to book tickets over the Internet, GNER plans to introduce this facility in the next few months.

The site will also be developed so people can check whether a train is running on time, before setting off for the station.

Malcolm Brown, GNER marketing manager, said: "We anticipate that the site will be popular with business travellers and overseas tourists, especially those from America, where domestic use of the Internet is particularly high."

The GNER web site can be found at www.gner.co.uk

The Evening Press's Proud To Be York campaign is gathering momentum.

The campaign, which aims to make the City of York a more beautiful, cleaner and more welcoming place, was launched in the wake of the Ecofin conference in March when the city looked at its best. Many people remarked on how attractive the city looked then and we thought it would be an excellent idea if the city presented its prettiest face all the year round.

Our campaign has been backed by the York-based railway companies GNER and Railtrack (North-East), the D-I-Y company Do It All, the Midland Bank and York Waterworks with its subsidiary York Gas. Together these companies have offered prizes worth £500 in four categories for the best projects to clean up York. See our entry form, printed here, for specific details.

Judging will take place during the summer and the winners will be announced on Yorkshire Day, August 1.

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