TOURISTS are shunning York in their thousands, in one of the city's slowest-ever summers.

The number of visitors has fallen significantly after the July 7 bombings in London.

Up to 25 per cent fewer people came into the area in one of the quietest Bank Holidays ever.

Della Rhodes, Tourist Information Centre manager, said: "The city has been less busy than in previous years. When you went into town it looked more like a normal summer Saturday than a Bank Holiday weekend. I would say visitor numbers were down 25 per cent on last year.

"In the Tourist Information Centre itself, we had 2,500 visitors through the doors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, compared with 3,000 normally.

"Of course, not all visitors come into the centre, but retailers and accommodation owners will tell you they have seen a significant drop this year."

A drop in public confidence following the London bombings is thought to be having an effect on tourism. The number of visitors to York in the July to September period is about 15 per cent less than last year, according to Ms Rhodes.

"We have noticed a fall over the summer, which may be related to the London bombings and people not wanting to travel to the city," she said.

"It is happening in all cities across the country. But there have been other factors as well and we have noticed a downturn for most of the year. This may be due to a fall in the economy and people not wanting to spend money generally."

John Gelson, spokesman for rail company GNER, agreed that visitors to York fell following the London bombings.

"There was an initial dip in passenger numbers after the London bombings, but those seem to be recovering quite strongly. We are hoping that we will see normal passenger numbers by the end of summer."

Hotels and guest houses in the city reported being 92 per cent full over the Bank Holiday - but many bookings were made at the last minute by people surprised to find places available.

In the two months since July, accommodation owners have seen a 15 per cent drop in guests, and they are hoping the picture will improve later in the year.

"York is an all-year round city and we have a lot of big events coming up with the food and drink festival in September and Guy Fawkes's 400th anniversary later in the year," said Ms Rhodes.

"We hope there will be an improvement in the autumn."

Joanna Micklethwait, also from the Tourist Information Centre, added: "Looking at the figures, we have been down at least 20 per cent on last year's Bank Holiday.

"It has been quiet for the rest of the year and the Bank Holiday weekend has reflected that by being quieter too. The same is happening in cities across the country."

All quiet on the High Street

BANK Holiday blues loomed for many attractions, shops and pubs over the weekend as York proved "disappointingly quiet" during what is normally one of its busiest weekends.

York Dungeon's attraction manager Helen Douglas said they had experienced a 16 per cent drop in visitor numbers in July compared with 2004, while August's figures were ten per cent down.

"We have had a fantastic summer, atmosphere-wise, and satisfaction ratings are as high as ever. But there's definitely been a drop in visitors to the city."

Noting that city car parks were not full over the weekend, she said: "I don't know where people are going. On Friday we had a slow start and very busy afternoon, but it was 11 per cent down on last year. We had a fantastic Saturday which was three per cent up, and Sunday was our busiest day of the summer, but we were one per cent down."

Monday's queues were long, with people visiting from places like West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincoln, triggering hopes that overall visitor numbers would match those of 2004.

Justine Brown, of Browns, said the Bank Holiday had been quieter than normal, while Kerry Mahoney, manager of The Japanese Shop, in Coppergate, said Saturday was "disappointingly quiet".

"The races always have a really negative impact on us. I think residents stay away," she said.

She said retailers had experienced "a tough few months" because of the economic climate and high interest rates, but The Japanese Shop had noticed trade picking up in recent weeks.

Mike Hartley, landlord of the King's Arms pub, said the Bank Holiday "hasn't been the busiest".

He said: "There are fewer tourists about. Trade has been steady since July but there hasn't been the usual influx of foreign tourists."

Updated: 10:38 Tuesday, August 30, 2005