A strategy to promote tourism as well as capitalising on world-famous heritage and culture is aiming to drive forward North Yorkshire’s economy and help support thousands of businesses.
The visitor economy has become a pillar of North Yorkshire’s economic prosperity, with hundreds of thousands of tourists travelling from across the world to the county every year.
A wide range of culture, arts and heritage is seen as vital for developing the sector and ensuring the thousands of independent businesses which rely on the tourism industry can develop.
The new North Yorkshire Council, which launches on Saturday (1 April), will be instrumental in providing a co-ordinated county-wide plan to promote the visitor economy, while also ensuring the industry is centred around environmentally-friendly business growth.
Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, who will assume the leadership of the new authority, said: “By having one council we can join up and strengthen North Yorkshire’s cultural offer, lobby for a greater share of funding for arts and culture here and support a year-round visitor economy.
“The new council will build on the globally recognised brand of North Yorkshire, advocating for the best possible opportunities for residents and businesses, while protecting and enhancing our landscapes and heritage.”
The new council will launch when North Yorkshire County Council and the existing seven district and borough authorities, which are currently responsible for promoting tourism, merge in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974 to pave the way for a devolution deal.
Talks are already under way with politicians and other councils across Yorkshire after the Government announced in November that a national overhaul of destination management organisations, which promote tourism, will take place.
A bid is due to be submitted for North Yorkshire to be home to a so-called Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), which will involve both the private and public sectors and will need to follow a new national process to be eligible for funding from the Government.
The current destination management organisations in North Yorkshire are working closely on the project, pooling their knowledge to ensure the strongest possible proposal for a LVEP is submitted.
The new council will also be engaging with businesses, business networks and the leisure, culture and tourism sectors in the county in the coming weeks to help develop a strong partnership.
Other schemes which will be overseen by North Yorkshire Council include work on High Street Heritage Action Zones in Northallerton, Selby and Skipton. These projects have unlocked more than £2 million in funding from the Government via Historic England to deliver a range of heritage, art and community projects, including engaging with young people through a digital recreation of Selby Abbey using Minecraft and a community and heritage hub on Northallerton’s High Street.
Cllr Les said: “We want to strengthen our tourist and cultural offer, by ensuring there are year-round attractions, and increase visitor spend.
“North Yorkshire Council will have a strong voice and will work with the county’s six MPs to ensure that the Government understands and acts on the issues that affect residents and businesses here.
“Via devolution, we will have a real opportunity to lobby the Government to ensure North Yorkshire enjoys the benefits seen in urban areas, which have mayoral-led combined authorities.”
A concerted effort is now under way to capitalise on a lucrative tourism market focused on James Herriot and bring even more visitors to the county
The fictional Yorkshire Dales vet featured in Alf Wight’s hugely popular books, and has inspired television and film adaptions, including Channel 5’s own version, All Creatures Great and Small, that is currently filming a fourth series in the county.
The Herriot Country Tourism Group, which was established more than 20 years ago, has had a renaissance in more recent years and now has more than 200 members including hotels, holiday cottages, attractions and food producers.
John Gallery, a director of the tourism group, has worked closely with district and borough councils which are responsible for helping promote tourism across North Yorkshire. With the launch of North Yorkshire Council on Saturday (1 April), Mr Gallery said he hopes that an even greater focus can be placed on promoting Herriot and bringing in thousands more visitors every year.
He said: “Since Alf Wight published his first book in 1970, a real appetite for Herriot has grown across the world and we see visitors wanting to come to North Yorkshire from so many different countries. The new television series has brought that into an even sharper focus, and there is now the chance to promote Herriot Country to a new and often younger generation.
“With the launch of the new council, there is a real opportunity to capitalise on this popularity. The district and borough councils I have worked with have been extremely helpful and supportive, but it will be a lot easier to have one single authority to deal with to promote tourism.
“It will provide a more joined up way of thinking and a more coordinated approach to promoting tourism for the whole of North Yorkshire – the sector is so important to the county’s economy, and it needs to be developed as effectively as possible.”
North Yorkshire has an enviable reputation for its visitor economy, with two National Parks for the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors, as well as Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, which is one of only two World Heritage Sites in Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire also has stately homes including Castle Howard, Swinton Park and Newby Hall as well as 23 English Heritage sites including Whitby Abbey, Richmond Castle and Rievaulx Abbey along with the recently acquired Thornborough Henges.
English Heritage’s Territory Director for the North, Andrea Selley, said: “Having such a broad range of properties and with a packed events programme annually, we are very much looking forward to working with one council in the future to drive forward the visitor economy in this beautiful county.”
The county is home to famous food and drink producers responsible for brands including Wensleydale Cheese, Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea. The market town of Malton lays claim to being the food capital of Yorkshire.
Tourism in North Yorkshire is worth £1.5 billion a year in the spend from domestic visitors. It accounts for 11% of the county’s overall economy, and 41,200 workers are employed in the sector.