Plans are developed for new attraction

A cultural attraction could be opened in West Yorkshire, according to Juliana Delaney, the chief executive of Continuum, the company that owns and operates a number of tourist attractions around the UK.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Ms Delaney said: “I’m a Yorkshire girl and this is where I would love to do some more visitor attractions.

“It would have to be the right location. We would never force a story into a location. But there is a possibility of another attraction in West Yorkshire.”

A Continuum spokesman said that more details about the proposed attraction would be revealed later.

Ms Delaney also revealed that she has plans for a new attraction in London, and the company’s Coronation Street Tour could have an extended life-span because it’s proved so popular with soap fans. Earlier this year, ITV approached York-based Continuum to run tours around the former Coronation Street set, which was left behind when the soap moved to Salford’s Media City.

Ms Delaney believes the set could be open to tourists longer than the six months that was originally planned.

“Tourism represents nine per cent of UK GDP,’’ she said. “It ought to be taken more seriously.”

Ms Delaney said the successful staging of the Grand Depart of the Tour de France is set to boost Yorkshire’s tourism industry.

She said yesterday: “The success of the Tour de France has demonstrated the amazing pull of the region’s landscape to tourists.

“It has created a great platform to help develop cultural attractions that promote Britain’s landscape, culture and heritage and can help us start to push the tourism message outside of London, and demonstrate the beauty of the regions, particularly Yorkshire.”

Full interview: Page 8