YORK is hoping to be two times a winner after it was shortlisted in two annual travel awards.

The city is a finalist in the Most Group-Friendly UK Destination category of the Group Travel Awards 2011 and the Coach Friendly Town or City of the Year category of the Coach Tourism Awards 2011.

The news broke after Visit York released details of its research into the value of group tourism to the city.

Last year, groups of tourists spent more than £25 million in York on accommodation, sight-seeing, shopping and dining out.

There were nearly 10,000 group visits, nearly 1,000 of them from the USA, the average size was 30 and 62 per cent of the visitors stayed for between one and two nights. A further third stayed for between three and four nights.

Gillian Cruddas, Visit York’s chief executive, said: “These results are fantastic news for York’s tourism sector and demonstrate that Visit York’s campaign to market York as a group-friendly city is paying dividends.”

In 2010, York was crowned City Of The Year in the annual Coach Tourism Awards and we will continually strive to excel in the service and friendly welcome we offer to group travel organisers to ensure that York holds on to this top spot.