LEADING tourism figures have spoken of their hopes for developing the multi-billion pound sector in North Yorkshire with the launch of the first-ever countywide organisation dedicated to promoting the visitor economy.

Visit North Yorkshire has been established to drive forward tourism in the county, which contributes £4 billion every year to the local economy and supports 38,000 jobs.

The new destination management and marketing organisation is overseen by North Yorkshire Council and is the first dedicated tourism body for the whole county.

Welcome to Yorkshire, the organisation which previously promoted tourism across the whole of Yorkshire, went into administration in early 2022 following an 'incredibly difficult' three years following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organisation, which received funding from local authorities, including Craven District Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, also blamed a lack of funding from both private and public sectors for its collapse.

At the official launch this week (October 21) of the new Visit North Yorkshire at Castle Howard near Malton, about 80 representatives from the tourism industry met members of the Visit North Yorkshire team and were given an insight into a 10-year vision for a more coordinated approach to promoting the county’s tourism brand.

Councillor Mark Crane, the council's executive member for open to business, whose responsibilities include the visitor economy, said: “This is an exceptionally important moment for the tourism industry in North Yorkshire.

“With the launch of Visit North Yorkshire, we now have the first countywide destination management and marketing organisation which has been made possible following the launch of North Yorkshire Council.

“The tourism sector is so valuable to our local economy and supports tens of thousands of livelihoods in our communities.

“Visit North Yorkshire will have a key role in developing the sector and providing an even closer working relationship with our tourism businesses to ensure that the industry can reach its full potential in the years to come.”

The launch of Visit North Yorkshire has come days after the first strategy of its kind to boost the county's multi-billion pound visitor economy was approved.

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive approved plans for the destination management plan at a meeting on October 15.

Among those who attended the official launch was SEALIFE Scarborough and Harrogate International Festivals.

Visit North Yorkshire has been established following the launch of the council in April last year when the former county council and seven district and borough authorities merged.

Since North Yorkshire Council was formed, there have already been major developments to support the tourism sector.

It was announced in November last year that a joint bid for a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for both York and North Yorkshire had been approved, paving the way for a far more co-ordinated and strategic approach to promoting the tourism sector.

LVEPs have been introduced as part of the national response to an independent review of how the country’s visitor economy is co-ordinated and promoted and have the potential to draw in additional support and funding from Westminster. North Yorkshire Council is working alongside Make it York, York City Council and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver the LVEP.

The first countywide tourism guide has also been published this year, and an updated version for 2025 is currently being produced.

The first destination marketing campaign spanning the whole of North Yorkshire, which was called Find Your Escape and focused on the county's gardens and countryside, was staged from the spring until October this year.

The campaign saw more than 2.2 million social media impressions, and advertising in London Kings Cross, Newcastle Railway Station and Leeds city centre is estimated to have been seen by four million people.

Promotional campaigns planned for next year include a bid to highlight the Visit North Yorkshire brand to coincide the launch of its new website.

The campaign will be delivered by an award-winning agency, SomeOne, which has previously worked with clients such as the Natural History Museum in London and the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The founder of SomeOne, Gary Holt, from near Thirsk, spoke at the Visit North Yorkshire launch when he outlined the campaign and how a more coordinated approach to a tourism brand across the county will benefit the industry.

Another key campaign for 2025 will focus on North Yorkshire’s connections to television and film locations, which is among the key focuses of the new destination management plan.

North Yorkshire is home to Herriot Country linked to Alf Wight’s novels and the television series, All Creatures Great and Small, largely filmed in Grassington; Fountains Abbey was used as a location for the Netflix series, The Witcher, and the limestone pavement at Malham Cove has featured in the Harry Potter films. Broughton Hall, near Skipton, has also been used for the filming of several films and television shows, including All Creatures Great and Small, and Gentleman Jack.

The new campaign, called Starring North Yorkshire, will complement Visit England’s own international marketing drive, Starring Great Britain.