12/01/2009

A delegation of the UK's top journalists and photographers from the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) will have their pens scribbling and cameras clicking from 21st to 23rd January as they arrive in York next week to find out what makes York and Yorkshire so special.

Founded in 1960, the British Guild of Travel Writers is an association of over 270 writers, editors, photographers, producers, radio and television presenters involved in the world of travel journalism. Most are freelance but the BGTW also includes travel editors of national and regional newspapers, magazines, radio and TV programmes.

Following their two day AGM and reception dinners in York (19th and 20th January), where ninety of them will be welcomed at venues such as the National Railway Museum, Castle Howard and York Hospitium, fifty of the journalists and travel writers will be splitting into groups and heading out to all corners of Yorkshire to discover the county's top visitor attractions, restaurants and hotels.

Tourism chiefs hope their visit will result in positive newspaper, radio and magazine features which will further boost the domestic holiday market this year by increasing holiday bookings.

Gillian Cruddas, Chief Executive of Visit York said: "This visit is a first for York and Yorkshire and it's a fantastic coup to have these writers visiting our region. The BGTW AGM will offer us the opportunity to build on long standing relationships with journalists and help us to communicate to our UK visitors why they should book a holiday here this year.'

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Tourist Board said, ‘We know our region's Tourism Partnerships will be pulling out all the stops to impress these VIP guests. A good write up in a national or regional newspaper can make the world of difference to a visitor attraction, restaurant or hotel business. We're delighted to welcome these journalists to Yorkshire and we're confident they'll find plenty to write about.'

The journalists will experience the very best of York and Yorkshire during their visit including behind the scenes tours of York Minster, ghost walks, visits to the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Yorkshire, the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield, Byland Abbey in North Yorkshire, a trip to the Yorkshire Wolds, the UK's first Eco Spa in Huddersfield, Hull's historic marina and the Deep, Bronte country, the world Heritage Site of Saltaire, Bempton Cliffs nature reserve, Dalby Forest, the North York Moors Railway and much much more.

This BGTW visit to York and Yorkshire is being coordinated by Visit York in collaboration with and supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Yorkshire Tourist Board, Yorkshire Moors & Coast Tourism Partnership, West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership, Yorkshire Dales & Harrogate Tourism Partnership, Visit Hull & East Yorkshire Tourism Partnership and the Yorkshire South Tourism Partnership. -ends -

For more information, please contact Kay Hyde, PR Manager, Visit York,
Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org

Notes to Editors:

The British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW)
Founded in 1960, the British Guild of Travel Writers is an association of over 270 writers, editors, photographers, producers, radio and television presenters involved in the world of travel. Most are freelance but the BGTW includes travel editors of national and regional newspapers, magazines, radio and TV programmes. They cover specialities from transport to camping, horse-riding to archaeology, cycling, walking, cruising, food, business travel, antiques, music, skiing or ‘just holidays'.

Members contribute regularly to twelve national dailies and eight national Sundays. In the regional press, members contribute to over 30 provincial newspapers and three Sundays. In women's media, members supply travel features to 39 publications; in the activity and travel press to 56 magazines; to 83 general interest publications; to 37 business and trade journals; to 42 in-flight and ferry magazines. Many members write travel books and guide books. Radio and TV are represented, as is the Internet.

Background - The AGM and tours
Around 90 journalists from the B.G.T.W. will attend the Convention in the city of York from Monday 19 January to Tuesday 20 January. About 50 of these journalists will extend their stay in Yorkshire until Friday 23 January and will be taken on themed familiarisation trips around the county. All Yorkshire Tourism Partners will be involved in hosting the visit and profiling their tourist attractions for the benefit of these visiting journalists.

What is Visit York?

Visit York is the new driving force for the city's tourism industry and the official tourism body for York and the surrounding area. Visit York aims to create a stronger more integrated approach to tourism, working with businesses, Yorkshire Forward and Yorkshire Tourist Board. It was formed on 1st April 2008 and brought together the City Council, the York Hospitality Association and the former York Tourism Bureau. The Chairman is John Yeomans and the Chief Executive is Gillian Cruddas.

Its aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure and business visitor, and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York. It is responsible for leisure and conference marketing, visitor services (running the city's Visitor Information Centres), training and developing the tourism product. Visit York aims to increase the value of the visitor economy by at least 5% annually.

Tourism in York already makes a huge contribution to the well-being of the city, however, Visit York aims to drive this to a higher level. Here are the latest figures:

• 4.09 million visitors a year (2007/2008)
• £364 million spent in York each year (2007/2008 )
• 10,646 jobs in York created by tourism (2007/2008)
• Staying visitors generated 2 million bednights (2007/2008)
• 15% of visitors are from overseas (around a quarter of these from North America)
• 80% of visitors in 2007-08 were repeat visitors
• Top overseas markets include USA, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium