Welcome to Yorkshire can leave behind a proud legacy for the region - The Yorkshire Post says

The demise of Welcome to Yorkshire will be of no cause for celebration within this county.

The organisation’s board has taken the long-feared decision to place the organisation into administration.

Ever since the news of the controversy surrounding the conduct of former chief executive Sir Gary Verity and his subsequent departure, Welcome to Yorkshire has always looked to have been on borrowed time.

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For three years it has struggled to secure the requisite funding it needed from both the public and private sector to make itself viable.

The cycling legacy of the Tour will not be forgotten - pic Asadour GuzelianThe cycling legacy of the Tour will not be forgotten - pic Asadour Guzelian
The cycling legacy of the Tour will not be forgotten - pic Asadour Guzelian

The indication from the leaders of Yorkshire’s councils, themselves facing budget shortfalls brought about by the pandemic, that they would not back a multi-year funding package proposal ultimately proved the final nail in Welcome to Yorkshire’s coffin. It marks a somewhat ignominious end for an organisation that once served as one of the region’s leading mouthpieces.

While the circumstances of its demise are less than ideal, it would be remiss if we did now acknowledge its achievements.

The value of tourism grew by an estimated £1bn under Welcome to Yorkshire’s watch. The region won a string of accolades at the Chelsea Flower Show thanks to its intervention.

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And of course its crowning glory will always be that glorious weekend in July 2014 when the eyes of the world turned to Yorkshire for the Tour de France Grand Départ, an event none of us will forget for our whole lives.

Troubles began around Sir Gary Verity's departure.Troubles began around Sir Gary Verity's departure.
Troubles began around Sir Gary Verity's departure.

With Welcome to Yorkshire now confined to the history books, we can live in hope that an alternative organisation can in the near future take its place. Yorkshire has so much to offer the world and deserves an organisation that can showcase it internationally.

This can be a legacy Welcome to Yorkshire can be proud of.