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05
Aug 2023
Destination Harrogate future unclear as council set to bid for tourism body
The future of a Harrogate tourism body remains unclear as North Yorkshire Council reveals plans to create a new organisation to attract visitors to the county.
Destination Harrogate, which is the destination management organisation for the region, was set up by Harrogate Borough Council.
However, North Yorkshire Council is set to table a bid to government in September for a local visitor economy partnership — which will replace destination management organisations following a review by ministers.
The new body would be responsible for promoting tourism in North Yorkshire and attracting events.
The council has also published a 88-page tourism strategy for the county, which includes aims to grow the tourist economy.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council whether the move would mean that Destination Harrogate is scrapped as a result of the single tourism strategy.
In response, David Caulfield, the council’s assistant director for tourism, said:
Questions over future
Questions were raised over Destination Harrogate’s future ahead of the establishment of North Yorkshire Council in April.
At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting in February, Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, said a government review into destination management organisations would likely mean only such bodies from cities or large regions will be able to receive funding from central government.
She suggested Harrogate would have to amalgamate into a wider, yet-to-be created North Yorkshire destination management organisation to qualify for the funding.
Read more:
- Harrogate council spends £2.2m on new tourism body in first year
- Bid begins to create new North Yorkshire tourism body
Meanwhile, borough council chief executive Wallace Sampson told councillors the new authority could look to “identify savings” with Destination Harrogate after it is handed control of the organisation.
He added:
Mr Sampson warned of the possible pitfalls of Destination Harrogate being merged into a county-wide tourism body, which he suggested could dilute the focus on individual places.
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