North Yorkshire’s coast experienced a surge in tourism thanks to a successful series of events held towards the end of last year, attracting record crowds to key areas such as Scarborough, Whitby, and Filey. A report, due to be presented to North Yorkshire councillors later this week, highlights the success of these events.
Councillor Simon Myers, the executive member for culture and arts, remarked that a pantomime at Scarborough Spa, featuring Anne Hegarty from the popular TV show The Chase, was an overwhelming success. The event’s ticket sales surpassed all previous pantomimes held at the venue.
Other notable successes included an extremely busy December at Whitby Pavilion, where nearly 2,000 people attended the cinema, and Scarborough’s Live Advent Calendar in December, which drew at least 150,000 attendees. Additionally, ticketed events in the area attracted around 7,000 people.
Building on this momentum, the council is set to launch a new marketing campaign aimed at positioning North Yorkshire as a “must-visit destination.” This campaign is set to coincide with the launch of a new website and will focus on promoting the region’s offerings. It will also aim to address and dispel some common myths about North Yorkshire, as outlined by Councillor Mark Crane, the executive member for open to business.
The “There’s More to North Yorkshire” campaign, planned for May through July, will run alongside tourism sector drop-in events, giving local businesses a chance to meet with the authority’s tourism team.
In support of these efforts, representatives from Visit North Yorkshire attended a major tourism conference in London last week, further promoting the region. The council is also maintaining regular meetings with key partners, including Make it York, City of York Council, and Visit England, to continue developing the local visitor economy partnership.
This ongoing collaboration and the new marketing push aim to solidify North Yorkshire’s reputation as a prime tourist destination, capitalizing on recent successes and engaging with potential visitors in the coming months.
