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York MP Adds Support to British Tourism Week
Story published: Wednesday, 10 March 2010
York MP Hugh Bayley will be adding his support to British Tourism Week on Monday 15th March when he swaps the House of Commons for a stint at the Visit York Visitor Information Centre.
British Tourism Week is organized by Visit Britain and runs from 15th – 21st March. Events will take place up and down the country to highlight the importance of tourism to the British economy; in Yorkshire alone tourism contributes £6.5bn towards the regional economy and employs 250,000 people. As part of the national celebrations Welcome to Yorkshire and its partners including Visit York, have arranged a series of events across the region to raise the profile of Yorkshire’s tourism businesses. York MP Hugh Bayley said, ‘I’m delighted to add my support to British Tourism Week. York attracts over four million visitors annually spending £364m – tourism is of great importance for the city’s economy and helps provide jobs for over 10,000 local people"
Gillian Cruddas, Chief Executive of Visit York, said, ‘We’re delighted to welcome Hugh to spend the morning working at the Visitor Information Centre. Our frontline staff handle thousands of enquiries each month, which can be quite a challenge. We hope to offer Hugh a flavour of the variety of queries our staff come across on a day to day basis.’
Hugh will be working alongside Visitor Information Centre supervisor Suzy Johnson who has worked at the centre for just over three years. Suzy said, ‘Working in visitor information is never dull and I love the fact that I’m still learning new things about the city. Meeting people from all over the world and promoting York to them, gives me a real sense of job satisfaction.’
During British Tourism Week Visit York will be exhibiting with Welcome to Yorkshire at the Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade event at Olympia in London. This show forms the centrepiece of British Tourism Week, attracting tour operators, travel agents and tourism organizations from across the UK. Following the four day exhibition Visit York will be hosting 37 high profile tour operators from China, India and Australia, encouraging them to include York in their holiday brochures and itineraries for next year. ENDS
Photocall Date: Monday 15 March
Time: 1030am
Where: Meet at York Visitor Information Centre – De Grey Rooms – Exhibition Square (next to Theatre Royal).
What: Hugh Bayley, MP for York, will lend his support to British Tourism Week by working a stint in the Visit York Visitor Information Centre – offering help to visitors on what to see and do during their holiday in York.
For further information please contact:
Kay Hyde – PR Manager – Visit York
Direct Line: 01904 554451
Mobile: 07961 828092
Email: kh@visityork.org
Katie Porter – PR Executive – Visit York
Direct Line: 01904 554436
Email: kp@visityork.org
Notes To The Editor
Visit York
• Visit York is supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, City of York Council and tourism businesses. Yorkshire Forward, The Regional Development Agency, funds Welcome to Yorkshire, which is charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber visitor economy.
• Visit York is the driving force of the city’s tourism industry. Key facts include:
- the city welcomed 4.09 million visitors (2007/08)
- £364 million total visitor spend (2007/08)
- 80% of visitors to the city were repeat visitors (2007/08)
(08/09 figures to be confirmed shortly)
• Visit York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure and business visitor, and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York. Visit York is responsible for leisure and conference marketing, visitor services (running the city’s Visitor Information Centre), training and developing the tourism product.
• His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will once again be Patron for a series of inter-related events across the UK, which aims to raise local, regional, national and international awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain's £114 billion visitor economy. BTW 2009 saw over 230 events take place across the country, culminating with the inaugural Best of Britain & Ireland Travel Trade Forum (formerly the British Travel Trade Fair) and a new two-day consumer show. Building upon this success, British Tourism Week 2010 will highlight the contribution made by businesses large and small, public and commercial, and aims to galvanise the commitment of organisations and individuals to further improve and develop the industry.