Tourism businesses in North Yorkshire have come together to develop an ambitious vision for the future in the first strategy of its kind designed to help the county’s multi-billion pound visitor economy reach its full potential.

More than £4 billion is brought into North Yorkshire’s economy each year through tourism and the industry supports 38,500 jobs.

The new strategy spanning the next decade is set to become the first countywide vision to support the visitor economy.

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive approved the destination management plan when they met in October. 

The strategy is aimed at capitalising on the diversity of what is on offer in the county, including its famous countryside, stately homes and gardens and history and heritage.

The destination management plan is also due to highlight the county’s arts and culture, health and wellbeing and a growing reputation as a location for film and television.

Building on the popularity of North Yorkshire’s coast towns, such as Scarborough, Whitby and Filey and other established destinations including Harrogate are also set to be a focus of the strategy.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include the visitor economy, said: “This 10-year destination management plan comes at a critical time for North Yorkshire, and one of the most exciting in its recent history.

(Image: Charlotte Gale) “With the launch of North Yorkshire Council last year, this has provided us with the first opportunity to have a countywide strategy to promote the visitor economy.

“There will be a new approach to supporting the growth of the visitor economy – one which recognises the area’s scale and character and reflects the diversity and distinctiveness of our county.”

The destination management plan has been drawn up following consultation involving one-to-one interviews and more than 40 face-to-face and online workshops during 2023 and this year to gather the views of over 500 key stakeholders.

The discussions highlighted the opportunities presented by North Yorkshire’s stunning landscapes for past-times such as cycling and walking and a desire by the industry and also the council to invest and develop the visitor economy.

The consultations also recognised opportunities presented by market towns with their independent businesses and high-quality produce on offer.

The engagement also highlighted the importance of public transport links, the chance to extend the peak tourism season and that there is a need to improve digital connectivity in parts of the county.

One of the central themes of the destination management plan is aimed at increasing the value of the visitor economy rather than the actual number of visitors.

Targets have been set to grow the visitor economy’s value over the rate of inflation by a fifth in the next decade.

Specific trends that have been identified as opportunities for growing the market include environmentally-friendly travel, stays that are off-grid and away from the pressures of modern life and also attracting business travellers to spend leisure time in the county.

English Heritage has a series of sites across North Yorkshire, including Scarborough Castle, Whitby Abbey, Richmond Castle and Rievaulx Abbey.

(Image: Jo Denison) The head of historic properties at English Heritage, Simon Bean, said: “English Heritage has been consulted about the draft destination management plan, and we are excited by the prospect of unlocking even greater potential for North Yorkshire’s visitor economy, both for people coming to the county and for the communities that live here too.”

Among the other attractions in North Yorkshire which brings in visitors from across the world is the World of James Herriot in Thirsk, which has seen its popularity increase even more in recent years following the broadcast of the new series of All Creatures Great and Small.

The museum, which is dedicated to the novels by Alf Wight about the fictional Yorkshire Dales vet, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The Herriot Country Tourism Group is currently spearheading an international sales campaign that supports the proposed destination management plan.

The chairman of the Herriot Country Tourism Group, John Gallery, said: “The destination management plan is due to mark a very important step to providing a clearly defined approach to promoting the tourism sector across the whole of North Yorkshire.

“The popularity of James Herriot has increased in recent years, and this will help us promote our museum in Thirsk which will benefit not just the town but the surrounding area as well.

“We know the importance of the visitor economy for our local economy and communities, as it supports so many jobs for local people. The new plan is set to help develop that and promote what is on offer for the thousands of visitors who come to North Yorkshire every year.”  

Meanwhile, the first-ever organisation for the whole of North Yorkshire has been officially launched to promote 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 represents the first time that there has been a dedicated tourism body for the whole county.

At its official launch on October 21 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 the 10-year vision for a more coordinated approach to promoting the county’s tourism brand.