Video: How Paul O’Grady’s show will help bring tourists to Yorkshire

Produced by Welcome to Yorkshire, the new commercials shows a variety of activities and locations in the area, alongside the slogan “So much, so near, so different. Have a brilliant Yorkshire”.

The first of the adverts were broadcast during the advertising break in yesterday’s episode of Coronation Street.

It will be followed up with sponsorship of three television programmes, The Paul O’Grady Show, The Royal and Do the Funniest Things as the organisation seeks to appeal to a variety of markets.

Chief executive Gary Verity said: “Building on our previous award-winning campaigns we’re broadcasting a brand new TV advertisement into homes across the UK with ‘So much, so near, so different. Have a brilliant Yorkshire’ as our new slogan and if you miss that you’ll certainly not miss our sponsorship deals which will accompany a number of prime-time TV programmes.

“The TV promotions aim to target the family market because we know that once people visit Yorkshire, they fall in love with our marvellous county and become repeat visitors in the long term.”

The new advertising campaigns were announced at yesterday’s Y 11 tourism conference, which attracted some 1,000 people and was claimed to be the biggest event of its kind in the country,

Organisers will aim to improve upon the success of adverts from 2010 which attracted very strong viewing figures, with some 2.4m people seeing the cinema adverts alone.

Mr Verity said the objective was to show people “how much there is to do in Yorkshire” and how near these attractions are, particularly at a time when international travel is proving very expensive.

Tourism is said to be worth £7bn to Yorkshire annually and employs almost a quarter of a million people.

During the event at The Grand Theatre and Opera House it was also announced that new measures would be undertaken to make sure Yorkshire benefits strongly from the Olympic Games in London next year.

A campaign called Yorkshire’s Great Party, is being created to celebrate the games as well as the more than 1,000 festivals that take place in the region.

Mr Verity said that Yorkshire was “a natural place to billet yourself” during the games and that already at least six countries are planning to train in Yorkshire prior to the games.

Some of the region’s Olympic hopefuls including boxer Danny Price and wheelchair athlete Nicola Atherton attended the event, alongside Charles Allen, chairman of the Nations and Regions Group - who encouraged businesses to make the most of opportunities in the run up to London 2012.

Mr Allen also visited a “London 2012 inspired-project” in Barnsley where he met young people and Olympians from South Yorkshire.

The event was organised as part of a partnership between Barnsley Council officers and their counterparts from the London borough of Newham, which will play host to the Olympic village.

Mr Allen was introduced to top Barnsley sports people, including high jumper Adele Lassu and pole vaulter Luke Cutts, and took questions from schoolchildren at the town’s Dearne Advanced Learning Centre.

Separate campaigns were also announced to promote Yorkshire’s coastline, arts, battlefields, films and Royal Heritage - with the latter set to celebrate the region’s royal heritage in tandem with the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29.

Addressing delegates, Mr Verity said that this year would also see the organisation attempt to double its membership numbers,

He said: “The previous year’s campaigns and partnerships have resulted in a raft of amazing successes. By bringing people together we are seeing more visitors and further growth to our economy and now is the time to build on this for the future of Yorkshire’s tourism industry.”

Which is Yorkshire’s greatest pub?

the search is on to find the best pub in Yorkshire.

People from across the region were invited to nominate their favourite for “Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub”.

Organised by Welcome to Yorkshire, in association with the Yorkshire Post and BBC, is running the competition. All votes cast will be used to compile a top 10 list of pubs which will feature in a special Yorkshire Ale Trail campaign for the organisation.

A panel of judges will then select three pubs from these 10 finalists and the public will have the chance to vote for a winner, which will be announced at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.

Go to www.yorkshire.com/pub.