‘Bold bid’ to market historic city
BOLD PLANS to support businesses and attract investment to York and build on the city’s global reputation as a must-see destination have been launched in the hope of creating a tourism sector worth £1bn.
Hundreds of leaders from the city’s business and cultural communities gathered yesterday to hear proposals for a new company, Make It York, which is tasked with helping to bolster the local economy.
As well as promoting tourism both in the UK and to international markets, including the lucrative Chinese market, it will also showcase York’s business opportunities and its cultural offerings.
Councillors in the city earlier backed plans to bring the work delivered by Visit York, Science City York and York Council’s inward investment, business support and events and festivals teams into one new company. It is hoped the move will offer savings in the long-term and also provide a more focused approach.
The managing director of Make It York, Steve Brown, said: “The best interests of York will always be at the heart of what we do.
“Ultimately our aim is to enable our city and its surroundings to develop as a world-class vibrant and attractive destination to live, visit, study and do business.”
York’s economy currently supports more than 8,100 businesses and 114,000 jobs.
Plans unveiled yesterday at the Park Inn hotel to the 300 representatives include moves to persuade firms to re-locate to York, and steps will also be taken to encourage more retailers to open in the city. A mobile phone app will be used to promote York to businesses.
It will also play a key role in attracting investment and working to exploit opportunities for highgrowth science sectors. Part of the initiative is the establishment of a new fund available for start- up businesses operating in the city’s creative, science and technology sectors.
Efforts will be made to ensure the city taps into its further potential as a destination for both British and international visitors. Ambitious plans have already been announced to create a tourism sector worth £1bn by 2024.
A total of 6.7 million people a year visit the city annually and spend £573m and support 19,000 jobs.
A new poll by TripAdvisor found York was eighth in the UK for the number of hotels, restaurants and attractions qualifying for its 2015 certificate of excellence.
However, a report prepared for York Council’s cabinet last year noted more could be done to market the city. It claimed whilst York has a “number of significant assets which set it apart from other cities”, particularly in the North of England, it “underperforms in areas of productivity and inward investment”.
The report added: “There is also evidence that the city could extract more value from the visitor economy – hence the city’s tourism vision of doubling the value of tourism by 2020.”
Make It York wants to increase the number of conferences and business meetings the city hosts.
Tourism bosses are working to promote the city to Chinese visitors and York will also be part of a new 12-month campaign to market the North in key international markets.
A £10m fund will be managed by VisitEngland, working with VisitBritain and other partners.
Jane Lady Gibson, the chairwoman of Make It York, said yesterday that the aim of the new initiative is to “maximise York’s potential to the full”.
Our aim is to maximise York’s potential to the
full Jane Lady Gibson, chair of Make It York