National Tourism Chief Praises Diverse Multi-Billion Pound Sector Vital To The Yorkshire Coast

The chair of VisitEngland’s advisory board has commended the diversity of York and North Yorkshire's visitor economy, highlighting the crucial role that coastal destinations and rural landscapes play in a sector worth £6 billion to the region.

The multi-billion pound tourism sector that supports communities along the Yorkshire Coast and across North Yorkshire has been praised for its diversity by one of the nation's leading industry figures.

According to the York and North Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), the wider region attracts more than 40 million visitors every year. This influx of tourists, many of whom flock to coastal hotspots such as Scarborough, Whitby, Filey, Bridlington, and Hornsea, as well as gateway market towns like Pickering and Driffield, adds £6 billion to the regional economy and supports over 54,000 jobs.

The chair of VisitEngland’s advisory board, Lady Victoria Borwick, witnessed the scale of the region's tourism sector during a recent four-day trip to Yorkshire. Her visit coincided with VisitEngland’s English Tourism Week, which this year runs under the theme of "local stories, national growth" to highlight the importance of the visitor economy at a grassroots level.

Praising the region's breadth of attractions, Lady Victoria explicitly noted the importance of the seaside alongside urban and rural destinations in her remarks released by the LVEP:

“The York and North Yorkshire area has such a diverse offer, from city to coast to countryside. What has been most impressive during my visit is the local characters that I have met along the way, they are the reason that this area is known for being so friendly, warm and welcoming.

“With the theme of ‘local stories, national growth’ for this year’s English Tourism Week, I have enjoyed hearing the tales from the people that so passionately promote the area and work within its attractions and accommodation to ensure every visitor has a memorable experience. Without these people, England wouldn’t be the wonderful destination that it is.”

During her tour, Lady Borwick met with representatives from across the tourism sector. While her itinerary took in historic inland sites such as York Minster, Castle Howard, Rievaulx Abbey, and the North York Moors National Park Authority’s centre at Sutton Bank, the discussions focused on strategies to boost the entire region, including the vital Yorkshire Coast economy.

David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire and chair of the LVEP, emphasised how the newly accredited partnership aims to champion the area globally. According to the LVEP, the body was accredited in October 2024 to create a more co-ordinated approach to promoting the sector, a move designed to benefit everything from Scarborough's historic seafront to the bustling harbours of Whitby and Bridlington.

Speaking on the collaborative effort, Mayor Skaith stated:

“From our historic city streets to our dramatic coastline and vast National Parks, it’s the variety and diversity of our towns, cities and villages, and the warmth of our trademark Yorkshire welcome that attracts so many visitors every year. By working together as a region through our LVEP, we’re championing our strengths on the global stage, taking tourism and hospitality businesses to the next level.

“That’s why the input of leading national figures like Lady Victoria is so valuable, to make sure we’re providing the right support to back ambition for the visitor economy that is so vital to York and North Yorkshire and underpins us as a thriving place to live, work and visit.”

The importance of this collaborative approach was echoed by North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Councillor Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include the visitor economy across the county.

Reflecting on the visit, Councillor Crane said:

“We are extremely privileged to have such a vast array on offer in North Yorkshire which attracts millions of visitors from across the world every year.

“Lady Victoria’s visit has been an important opportunity to show her some of the highlights of the county’s visitor economy. The hard work and dedication of our businesses and their staff is invaluable, and it was good to hear her thoughts on all the efforts locally to help to promote the sector.”