18/01/2012

Visit York is delighted to announce the forthcoming arrival of over two hundred tour operators and group travel organisers this month (20-22 January), arriving for the GTOA (Group Travel Organisers Association) annual conference, to be held at the Park Inn Hotel. Top names in the world of group travel such as Page and Moy, Johnsons Coach Travel and Bowens Travel Group will attend the event.

This is the first time GTOA has held its annual conference in the city and tourism chiefs have hailed the event as a major coup, enabling Visit York to get the New Year off to a flying start. GTOA is an independent organisation representing the interests of four hundred and fifty member companies who organise tours and trips for groups, made up of tour and coach operators, blue badge guides and hotel chains.

An evening of entertainment with local history and colour is planned; six Vikings will carry Gillian off stage once her welcome speech is completed, followed by a court room scene, performed by York Dungeon re-enactors, who will recreate the trials of Guy Fawkes and Dick Turpin; the audience will be asked to decide who to condemn. Mark Graham of the Original Ghost Walk will wrap up the evening with a host of ghost stories from York's past.

A fun packed itinerary has been organised by Visit York for the whole weekend to ensure the city is showcased at its very best, including a choice of five themed familiarisation visits: Minsters and Mansions with lunch at Betty's and ‘hidden Minster' and Mansion House tours led by the Lord Mayor; Classic York with lunch at the Hilton Hotel and visits to Jorvik, Clifford's Tower and the Castle Museum; Planes & Trains with lunch at the Yorkshire Air Museum and a visit to the National Railway Museum; Eden Camp & Castle Howard with lunch at Eden Camp, followed by a tour of Castle Howard and a ‘Hidden York' trip with lunch at the Black Swan pub and visits to the Quilt Museum and Barley Hall.

Gillian Cruddas MBE, Chief Executive of Visit York said, ‘The GTOA conference offers us a perfect opportunity to showcase York to some of Britain's most influential travel bookers and ensure everyone is in the know about York's new developments, including the new chocolate visitor attraction and York 800 celebrations. We will be pulling out all the stops to ensure this visit is a huge success and expect to reap the benefits of this conference for years to come.'

Group visits to York are big business and according to the latest research generated an estimated £25 million contribution to the York economy in 2010. 78% of this was from staying visitors and 22% from group day visits. The average size of each visiting group was thirty and the total number of group visits was 9,400. Dennis Chantry Vice Chairman of GTOA said, ‘We snapped up the chance to have our event in York because York is so very attractive to Group Travel Organisers. There is simply so much to do here, it is easy to get around and there's a superb variety and wonderful ambience in York. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to show our members what York has and also to re educate them about all the new things on offer this year'.

During a gala dinner on Saturday 21st January Councillor David Horton, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of York and Lady Mayoress Jane Horton will be presented with a cheque by GTOA for their chosen charities York and District Mind and York Against Cancer. There will be a free exhibition between 9am and 1pm on Sat 21 January at the Park Inn, to include approx 150 associate members, coach and tour operators, hotel chains, travel companies, ticket agents and local attractions, which any local group travel organisers and operators are welcome to attend.

This year Visit York will be also be exhibiting at two group travel events - the Tourism and Leisure Showcase at Harewood House on 4th February and the Great Days Out Fair in Manchester on 25th February. A new Visit York Groups guide will be launched at these two events. ENDS