Tourism chiefs predict summer spectacular as visitor spend soars
Published: 22 July 2011
Following a great start to the year for some tourism businesses in Yorkshire, the county is gearing up for a bumper summer.
In the first quarter of 2011 visits to Yorkshire grew by 14% compared to the same period last year according to the Great Britain Travel Survey (GBTS).
Yorkshire experienced 25% growth in visitor spend compared to a 5% increase in the UK. Lengths of stay also increased by an outstanding 15% in Yorkshire compared with a 2% decrease nationally.
The Welcome to Yorkshire 'How's Business?' survey reveals over one third (36%) of respondents are expecting their businesses to do better this summer compared to the same period last year. 66% of businesses said that they are fairly or very confident about the coming August Bank Holiday weekend.
These positive results could mean Yorkshire experiences yet another strong summer season.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, says: "Yorkshire really is the place to be this summer. Early indications are incredibly positive and point towards this year's summer season being as positive as the last. This is great news for the fabulous accommodation providers, tourist attractions, restaurants, pubs and teashops we have across the county."
Mr & Mrs Gray from Holly-Garth, self-catering accommodation in Ryedale, said: "Marketing by Welcome to Yorkshire is doing a marvellous job in driving business. We have seen our client base extend significantly into the South of England over the last few months since the highly visible campaigns that you have run in London and the South."
This significant growth is unsurprising given Yorkshire is home to so many of the country's best tourism attractions, boasting beautiful countryside landscapes and historic cities, the county is overflowing with things for tourists to discover and experience during their summer holidays.
With so many summer events taking place in Yorkshire over the school holidays, families of all ages and abilities will be flocking to the UK's largest county to enjoy the amazing array of festivals and events.
- ENDS -
Editors' Notes:
- Welcome to Yorkshire is the official destination management organisation for Yorkshire, working to grow the county's visitor economy.
- Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
- Key facts include:
- Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
- The county's industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
- There are 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year
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For further information contact:
Andy Denton - Press Officer
Email: adenton@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3537
Mobile: 0785 5812094
Graham Poucher - Press Officer
Email: gpoucher@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3578
Mobile: 07805 958728