Harrogate Borough Council offer £31k bailout for Welcome to Yorkshire
It's to help save the tourism economy as lockdown restrictions are lifted
Last updated 18th Nov 2020
The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has agreed to a £31,000 bail-out for Welcome to Yorkshire in the hope the troubled tourism body will help resurrect the key sector of the economy as lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Councillor Richard Cooper signed off a decision to stump up the support at a meeting last week after the cash-strapped tourism agency warned it could be forced to close unless it receives a £1.4m lifeline from taxpayers.
Councils including North Yorkshire, Leeds and Kirklees have already paid their share of the sum, however, Wakefield refused as councillors launched a scathing attack on the “lavish lifestyle” of Welcome to Yorkshire bosses
They also said the tourism body – which is funded by local councils and tourism businesses – brought no economic benefit to the area.
However, Harrogate’s council leader Richard Cooper said Welcome to Yorkshire will have a “critical” role to play in the district’s Covid recovery and that businesses would benefit from the borough’s financial support.
He said: “A Yorkshire tourism organisation is a valuable part of attracting business and leisure tourism and that is why it is important that Welcome to Yorkshire receives our support.
“We are looking to boost domestic tourism as we come out of lockdown. We need to start filling our B&Bs and guesthouses. We can do this as we are a brilliant location for short and long domestic breaks.
“But to make the most of every opportunity the added value that Welcome to Yorkshire can bring is critical.”
Welcome to Yorkshire was responsible for attracting the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014 and the creation of the annual Tour de Yorkshire cycle race.
However, it has been troubled with culture, governance and management problems, and in June warned it faced a £1.4m funding shortfall due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The organisation’s chief executive James Mason said “now more than ever” it needed to work together with businesses and local authorities, and thanked Harrogate Borough Council for its support.
He said: “We’re all aware of the immediate impact coronavirus has caused and thousands of private sector and public sector businesses and attractions need our support.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to Harrogate Borough Council for their support of Welcome to Yorkshire’s continued promotion of tourism at a time when amplifying the amazing attributes of Yorkshire as a place to visit, live, work and study is particularly paramount.
“Harrogate is a spectacular spa town, with vast areas of green spaces, pretty parks, glorious gardens and towering tree-lined lanes, beautiful bars and restaurants, stunning hotels, world-class food (including not one but two Bettys café tearooms), stylish shopping, with art venues and heritage sites aplenty.
“It has much to offer and Welcome to Yorkshire has the perfect platform to shout about such incredible locations to audiences locally, nationally and internationally, with its global platforms and reach of over 23 million people.”