New council set to drive forward ‘global brand’ of North Yorkshire.

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 (April 1), 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.

North Yorkshire County Council’s 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 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 and expertise 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 across 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.

Tourism in North Yorkshire is worth £1.5 billion a year in the spend from domestic visitors. It accounts for 11 per cent of the county’s overall economy, and 41,200 workers are employed in the sector.

North Yorkshire already has an enviable reputation for its visitor economy due to a series of high-profile events and a wide range of cultural attractions from historic stately homes to centuries-old castles and ancient monuments.

The county is home to 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 also has a wealth of famous food and drink producers responsible for brands including Wensleydale Cheese, Harrogate Spring Water and Yorkshire Tea. The market town of Malton has emerged as an epicentre for the food and drink sector and lays claim to being the food capital of Yorkshire with regular markets showcasing local produce.

Venues such as the Open Air Theatre in Scarborough, which has seen performances by global stars such as Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Noel Gallagher, and the Harrogate Convention Centre have also helped build a strong brand for North Yorkshire.

The huge success of the Tour de France’s Grand Départ being staged in Yorkshire in 2014 with large parts of the route passing through North Yorkshire has seen the county emerge as a prime destination for cyclists from across the world.

Cllr Les said: “We want to strengthen our tourism 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.”

North Yorkshire has 32,715 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which are involved in the tourism sector.