Tourism Ambassadors title honours volunteer guides

FOR the last 60 years, volunteer guides have given hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe a glimpse into the long history of York.

And as the city’s 110-strong army of helpers celebrates the landmark anniversary, tourism leaders have honoured their work spanning the last six decades.

The Association of Voluntary Guides, which began the free tours for the Festival of Britain in 1951, has been named York’s Tourism Ambassadors for the next year.

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The association was given the accolade at last night’s Visit York awards, which celebrated the leading lights in the city’s multi-million-pound tourism industry.

The association’s chairman, Ivan Martin, who has been conducting the tours for the last 14 years, said: “It is such a honour, not only for the current guides but for everyone who has been involved in the association throughout the years.”

About 1,500 tours are staged each year, and have attracted visitors from 68 different nationalities.

An estimated 12,000 people go on the tours each year, meaning more than 700,000 visitors have been on the two-hour walks around the city since 1951.

The tours take in some of the city’s best known attractions, including York Minster and the Museum Gardens.

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