Setback over funding in Yorkshire drive to attract more tourists

The Government will not restore public funding to Yorkshire’s tourism agency, despite announcing a drive to capitalise on the UK’s expected visitor-boom following the success of the Olympic Games in promoting the UK.

However, Ministers have hinted that Welcome to Yorkshire could yet benefit from forthcoming “commercial partnerships” which the Government hopes to advance later this year,

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday unveiled plans for a £10m marketing campaign to try to attract more visitors from abroad on the back of the success of London 2012, while at the same time highlighting the benefits of holidaying at home to UK residents.

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With Tourism Minister John Penrose, however, Mr Hunt ruled out financial backing for Welcome to Yorkshire, despite recognising the organisation as one of the most successful tourism agencies in the country.

Welcome to Yorkshire lost its funding as part of the austerity cuts, and the Yorkshire Post has been campaigning for renewed support for the agency as part of its Give us a Fair Deal campaign.

Mr Hunt yesterday made clear there will be no change to his policy of pouring taxpayers’ money into the national Visit England body instead of the regional “destination management organisations” (DMOs).

“What we’ve been doing is trying to change the way we approach the domestic tourism industry,” Mr Hunt said. “Funding has never existed before for a national marketing campaign banging the drum for holidaying at home.

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“We are trying to empower DMOs through partnerships with local enterprise partnerships as a better way of promoting tourism.”

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Mr Penrose said there was no “spare money” available but that announcements could be made “later in the year” regarding commercial opportunities for successful tourism agencies such as Welcome to Yorkshire.

“I don’t want to start talking about extra money at all, but we do want to make sure that where people are capable.... They get the chance to show what they can do – and get the chance to engage in partnership opportunities with some of the commercial partners we’ve got as well. There’s quite a lot of potential there.”