Harrogate Borough Council’s tourism organisation has identified health and wellbeing, events and responsible tourism as its priorities over the next three years.
The council set up Destination Harrogate last year as its new ‘destination management organisation’ to showcase the Harrogate district and to grow the visitor economy and attract inward investment.
Destination Harrogate has now unveiled its three-year plan to “position the Harrogate district as a first choice destination for tourism, large-scale events and investment”.
The plan was approved by senior councillors at a cabinet meeting yesterday.
According to a council press release, the visitor economy makes up 14.3 per cent of the economy in Harrogate district.
The plan cites health and wellbeing as its top priority. It says it wants to “position the Harrogate district as a first choice health and wellbeing destination”.
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Its second priority is to “position Harrogate district as a first-choice events destination by attracting, hosting and delivering exceptional events”.
The council press release said:
“A year-round festival, conference and events programme will ensure a lift in the visitor economy and enable sustainable growth.”
Responsible tourism is the third priority. The press release says:
“As we become more conscious of and conscientious about green travel and sustainable tourism, the DMO will work with partners to develop a responsible tourism strategy in order to be recognised as a destination for responsible tourism by 2030.
“In doing so, the DMO intends to minimise the negative environmental and social impacts of tourism, and enhance the economic and cultural benefits for visitors, businesses, and residents.”
Worth £600m to economy
Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of the council, said:
“The visitor economy plays a huge role locally, underpinning 8,000 jobs and bringing £600 million in to our economy. Without it our district would be a very different place with fewer shops, businesses and job opportunities. That is why it is important that we seek to grow the visitor economy.
“This plan is the culmination of a number of interviews and surveys provided by people and businesses that have a direct input into the success of our visitor economy and who have shared their ideas and suggestions to take us forward.”
Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, said:
Welcome to Yorkshire defends 2014 Tour De France following criticism“To attract business and investment, a destination must be distinctive, attractive and well managed and we have developed this destination management plan to set out the vision, priorities and actions, we – as a destination – need to put in place to meet that vision.
“Key stakeholders from visitor attractions and restaurants, independent hotels, conference venues and event organisers from across the district have contributed towards the shared goals of our ambitious plan to achieve the long-term vision of a visitor economy worth around £835 million per annum by 2030.”
Tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire has defended the impact of the 2014 Tour De France Grand Depart, which ended in Harrogate, after MPs were told this week that the event had no lasting impact on Yorkshire tourism.
At an MPs select committee on Tuesday, Caroline Cooper Charles, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, which champions the film and TV industry in Yorkshire, gave evidence about promoting the UK as a tourist destination.
Asked by Labour MP Clive Efford if the Grand Depart had a lasting impact on tourism in the county, she replied:
“In all honesty, I don’t think it did.
“It certainly put the spotlight on Yorkshire and people came to see the race. Probably for a short amount of time hotels were booked up and restaurants were full. In terms of long term impact no, I wouldn’t say so.”
‘Immense international hit’
Welcome to Yorkshire played a major role in bringing the event to Yorkshire.
An estimated 300,000 people lined the streets in places including Ripon, Masham and Harrogate to watch the race.
A WTY spokesperson told the Stray Ferret the Grand Depart was an “immense international hit” that helped to put Yorkshire on a global stage and “showcase its beauty to the world”.
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Legacy
The spokesperson claimed the Grand Depart attracted 4 million roadside spectators and the race was watched in 188 countries with £330m worth of media coverage.
They said tweets about the race reached 230 million people and the Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire trended worldwide.
The spokesperson said key to the legacy of the Grand Depart was the annual Tour de Yorkshire races from 2015 to 2019.
They added:
MPs told 2014 Tour De France has not boosted Yorkshire tourism“The Tour de Yorkshire has also been of huge economic benefit to the county and the tourism industry, further boosting the county’s economy and promoting spectacular Yorkshire across the globe.
“Benefits for the county during the Tour de Yorkshires have included record-breaking figures of 107.5m Twitter reach (2016), 2.6 million spectators along the route and a £98m economic impact (2018), plus a TV audience of 28 million in 190 countries (2019).
“This world-class cycling event is also so much more than a bike race – it’s about the crowds, the community engagement and that amazing Yorkshire welcome, plus it’s proved to be the perfect opportunity, year upon year, to let the world see Yorkshire’s spectacular countryside, stunning coastline, vibrant cities, pretty towns and villages, as well as its world-renowned history and heritage locations.”
Over 300,000 people lined the streets of the Harrogate district for the 2014 Tour De France Grand Depart, but MPs have been told the event has provided no lasting benefits to the region.
The Grand Depart saw riders given a royal send-off by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at Harewood House.
Almost 200 cyclists took part, racing through Masham, Ripon and Killinghall before a sprint finish in Harrogate. It memorably saw Mark Cavendish crash off his bike on Parliament Street.
Since the event, other major cycling events have been held in the Harrogate district, including the 2019 UCI Cycling Championships, which has divided the town ever since.
At an MPs select committee on Tuesday, Caroline Cooper Charles, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, which champions the film and TV industry in Yorkshire, gave evidence about promoting the UK as a tourist destination.
Asked by Labour MP Clive Efford if the Grand Depart had a lasting impact on tourism in the county, she replied:
“In all honesty, I don’t think it did.
“It certainly put the spotlight on Yorkshire and people came to see the race. Probably for a short amount of time hotels were booked up and restaurants were full. In terms of long term impact no, I wouldn’t say so.”
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In 2014, Gary Verity, then chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the tourism body that played a major role in bringing the event to Yorkshire, said the event “will have a lasting impact on visitor numbers and businesses for years and years to come”.
But Ms Cooper Charles said Yorkshire as a county had failed to capitalise on the success of the event.
A Harrogate Borough Council report published in 2015 claimed £19m was spent in the district thanks to the race. A Welcome to Yorkshire report claimed £100m was spent across the county.
Ms Cooper Charles said:
“Once the bikes are gone, what’s left? It’s the roads.
“In terms of a campaign to sell the rest of Yorkshire around the Tour de Yorkshire leg, i don’t think that happened. If it happened there would have been a longer-term impact.”
The Stray Ferret asked Welcome to Yorkshire to respond but we did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Harrogate council spent £5,000 on King’s Cross snow globeHarrogate Borough Council paid £5,220 to install a Christmas snow globe at London’s King’s Cross station for two days, the Stray Ferret has learned.
The giant inflatable globe was put on the passenger concourse at King’s Cross in November to promote Harrogate’s Christmas Fayre and entice people towards a £140 LNER train service from the capital to Harrogate to sample the festivities.
The snow globe also offered people the chance to have selfies taken inside a winter wonderland scene.
The idea came from the council’s tourism organisation, Visit Harrogate, which partnered with LNER for the rail offer. The first-class service included special Harrogate goodie bags.
Through a freedom of information request, the Stray Ferret discovered Visit Harrogate spent £5,220 to hire the globe for two 12-hour days at King’s Cross. The price included VAT and the wages of two people who operated the globe.
The Stray Ferret also asked Harrogate Borough Council how many tickets to Harrogate were sold for the Christmas rail offer but the council said it did not know. LNER declined to disclose the information.
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Harrogate Christmas Fayre took place from December 2 to December 12 in the town centre. It replaced the previous Harrogate Christmas Market after organisers were not given a licence to run the event by the council.
The Stray Ferret revealed last month that Visit Harrogate paid a social media influencer from Bristol £700 to promote the fayre in a blog, which only received two likes on Facebook, including one from the council itself.
Christmas festivities across the country were dampened by the Omicron wave that hit the UK in the days leading up to Christmas.
‘Record traffic’
A spokesperson for Destination Harrogate, which includes Visit Harrogate, said:
Major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre could start in October“Visit Harrogate’s partnership with LNER saw the eye-catching snow globe travel to the capital to take a prime position in one of London’s busiest train stations, Kings Cross. The station which sees hundreds of thousands of commuters each day, allowed for maximum exposure of Harrogate district while promoting the direct LNER line from London to Harrogate.
“Located in the centre of the concourse and visible from all the main approaches, the giant snow globe became a key meeting point at the station on a Friday and Saturday – two busy days for a train station in the capital – with hundreds of people pulling out their phones to take photographs, sharing them on social media and further extend the reach of the campaign.
“During this period, the Visit Harrogate website received record levels of traffic, demonstrating the success of not only this activity, but also the wider Destination Christmas campaign.
“The purpose of all of our campaigns is to support our local visitor economy which makes up around 15% of the economy in the Harrogate district and provides jobs for around 8,000 people. For a visitor economy to continue to thrive and grow, it requires a collaborative approach and ambitious and exciting campaigns, such as this.”
A major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre could get underway in October after councillors backed spending £2.8 million of cash reserves to speed up the first phase of works.
Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet last night agreed to the spend after warnings that the local economy could miss out on up to £14.9 million through cancelled events unless the centre’s studio two gets an upgrade sooner than originally planned.
The works would see the creation of flexible events space for up to 1,200 people, which centre director Paula Lorimer said was the most crucial part of all the plans.
She told last night’s meeting:
“The convention centre has an auditorium with a capacity of just under 2,000, but it only has breakout space for 560 delegates.
“This in my opinion is one of the biggest reasons why we have not been able to attract some of the larger conferences.
“The studio two package is a game changer for the convention centre – and it is also a crucial part of the redevelopment to rebuild confidence in our venue.”
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If approved by all councillors, a competitive tender process would be launched under the next stage of the studio two works, which could be completed by February 2023.
Overall, the full redevelopment plans could cost up to £47 million and involve three exhibition halls being demolished to make way for a new 5,000 square metre hall and a refurbished auditorium.
The proposals were first revealed last year when the council said the 40-year-old centre was in “critical need” of an upgrade to keep its national appeal and that without investment its maintenance costs could reach £19 million over the next two decades.
A decision on the whole project is expected from councillors in summer.
Centre unable to attract ‘large and lucrative’ events
The studio two works are being accelerated after Ms Lorimer said the centre had been unable to attract “large and lucrative” events due to competition from more modern conference venues elsewhere in the country.
She said events are planned at least 18 months in advance and that without an upgraded studio two, the centre could lose £1.1 million in lettings revenue in the coming years with businesses also missing out on an economic impact of £14.9 million from the venue.
Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said he supported the plans because of the wider economic impact.
He told last night’s meeting:
“Nearly everybody in the Harrogate district knows somebody or have themselves worked in the hospitality and tourism industry.
“That to me always underlines the critical importance of the convention centre to our local economy.”
Harrogate Borough Council paid a social media influencer from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes on Facebook, including one from the council itself.
Heather on Her Travels is run by travel blogger Heather Cowper and is aimed at people over 50. Ms Cowper writes about her trips to different places in the UK and abroad with articles focused on “authentic travel with a little luxury”.
In December last year, Ms Cowper, who has 8,000 followers on Twitter, 4,000 on Facebook and 17,000 on Instagram, published an article called “11 Fun Things To Do Over Harrogate – Our Winter Break”.
It named the council’s new Harrogate Christmas Fayre as the number 1 attraction.
The Stray Ferret discovered through a freedom of information request that the council, through its tourism body Visit Harrogate, paid Ms Cowper £700 + VAT for the article.
Its performance on social media raises questions over whether the fee represents value for money.
On Twitter, the article received just one retweet. It performed better on Facebook but still only won two likes, including one from Visit Harrogate.
One of the Instagram posts.
Several photos of the trip on Instagram fared better, receiving up to 50 likes.
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Other UK councils have used social media influencers to promote their area, including Edinburgh City Council. Edinburgh Live reported the authority paid £14,000 to Instagram influencers who praised the Scottish capital as a destination.
However, these posts were more successful, with one post about a bike tour around Edinburgh racking up almost 2,500 likes.
‘Attracts our target demographic’
Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, which controls Visit Harrogate, defended the £700 fee for Ms Cowper. Ms Rio said she produced “incredibly well-written content” that could help the council attract new visitors through social media:
£1.5m spent on unapproved plans for Harrogate Convention Centre redevelopment“The digital landscape has changed significantly in the last few years with around 80% of adults (53 million) using social media daily, with the average user spending almost two hours on these platforms.
“Like many other destination management organisations – as well as most businesses – Destination Harrogate is keen to capitalise on this incredibly effective marketing tool to target specific audiences, especially around the tourism and travel sector.
“Heather Cowper was chosen as she regularly appears on the lists of top 100 travel blogs worldwide and has established herself as one of the best traveller bloggers. Regularly receiving thousands of views every month on her videos, photos, podcasts and blogs.
“Heather’s content is also incredibly well written – having spent many years sharing her own travel experiences and insights – and also attracts our target demographic.
“The joy of using social media as a marketing tool is that it is often more cost-effective and engaging than traditional advertising, as we can utilise photography and video as well as words. All adverts and promotions can also be evaluated extensively; whether that’s reach and engagement or driving traffic to our website, for example.
“We can also continue to adapt and tailor our approach to future campaigns, attract new visitors, as well as understand the behaviours of our target demographic to ensure a return on our investment.
“Social media advertising and the use of influencers to increase brand awareness looks like it will continue to be one of the most beneficial marketing tools. We’re keen to continue using it to showcase what the Harrogate district has to offer and stand out amongst competitor destinations.”
More than £1.5m of taxpayers’ money has already been spent on plans for a major redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre before the project has been approved.
In what is set to be one of its biggest decisions in recent history, Harrogate Borough Council will next summer vote on the proposed project, which is currently at the design stage and could cost £47m over three phases.
Figures obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service show £1.1m has so far been spent on contracts for design and feasibility works, while £275,000 has been spent on a first phase business case and £179,050 on an outline business case.
Councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic growth at the council, said these works have been a key part of the planning process and that they will help the authority weigh up the benefits and risks before making a final decision. He said:
“By appointing specialists – such as Cushman and Wakefield, Arcadis and KPMG – we will have a comprehensive understanding of the feasibility of the project.
“It is crucial that we redevelop the ageing site as well as introduce much more flexible spaces that will allow us to attract a broader customer base and substantially strengthen this economic impact.
“These changes are essential to stay relevant for the changing conference trade and optimise space for the future.
“The delivery of this project will also be key to the district’s covid economic recovery plan.
“Therefore, it is essential we get it right.”
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Now over 40 years old, the council says the centre is in “critical need” of an upgrade and that there is “very real risk” it will not survive without investment.
It was estimated before the pandemic that the venue attracted more than 150,000 visitors a year with an annual economic impact of £35m. However, there are now questions over how quickly the events industry can bounce back.
Even before covid, Harrogate’s position in the industry was under threat as major conferences began taking their business to bigger and newer arenas.
This growing competition has led to warnings from centre director Paula Lorimer who last week said the venue will miss out on “large and lucrative” events unless the redevelopment plans are accelerated.
‘Major failing’
The project was first revealed in 2020 when the council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group signalled its support for the plans, although it criticised the Conservative-run authority for what it described as a lack of investment in the past.
The Liberal Democrats have also accused the council over failures in planning for the initial convention centre build over 40 years ago, adding that these “mistakes” must now be avoided by ensuring the redevelopment plans are well prepared and fully costed.
The party said in a statement:
Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive resigns“Any potential project of this magnitude needs to be fully costed and investigated before any decision is made to go ahead.
“This was a major failing the council made when it proceeded with the conference centre development in the 1970s.
“The project increased in price from just over £8m to over £34m by the time it was ready to open in 1982 and took twice as long as originally planned.
“The future of the conference and exhibition business is probably going to be one of the most important economic decisions to be made for our area for years to come.
“We must get it right and learn from past mistakes.”
Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive James Mason has resigned and will leave the organisation next month.
Mr Mason, who has led the tourism body since January last year, will depart on October 22 to take on a new yet-to-be-announced job in the new year.
The news comes less than a month after it was announced the 2022 Tour de Yorkshire had been cancelled.
Mr Mason joined Welcome to Yorkshire after former boss, Sir Gary Verity, resigned in March 2019 on health grounds. Mr Verity later faced allegations of bullying and inappropriately claiming expenses, which he denied.
Speaking about his departure, Mr Mason said “the decision wasn’t an easy one” but that he was “excited” for his new role.
He said:
“Whilst working under difficult conditions at times, there is lots we can be proud of, such as the much-loved Walkshire campaign, the launch of a personal membership and tree planting scheme, as well as the implementation of a tourism recovery plan.
“The brief when I joined was to guide Welcome to Yorkshire towards steadier waters and drastically reduce costs.
“We achieved this despite all the restrictions we faced and never stopped innovating or striving for excellence.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their involvement in trying to bring the Tour de Yorkshire back especially our local authority partners with their continued commitment. These high-profile events will return to the region when the time is right.”
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Chair of Welcome to Yorkshire, Peter Box, thanked Mr Mason for the “commitment and energy” he brought to the role.
He added Welcome to Yorkshire will arrange a board meeting to discuss the future of the organisation.
Mr Box said:
Ripon’s Old Deanery hotel to reopen under new occupiers“We would like to thank James for the commitment and energy he has demonstrated during a particularly turbulent time for tourism and for the organisation. When James joined as chief executive almost two years ago there were many challenges to deal with.
“A positive plan was put in place to continue showcasing Yorkshire to the world and despite the covid pandemic adding a new and unexpected level of challenges for the tourism industry, James tackled all issues head-on and worked tirelessly.
“He embraced all aspects of the role passionately and with creativity. A board meeting will be arranged to discuss the next steps for Welcome to Yorkshire.”
Ripon’s Old Deanery Hotel is to reopen with a focus on wedding receptions and events.
The historic property, which neighbours and is owned by Ripon Cathedral, closed in March after months of lockdown due to covid.
Now it is being prepared for reopening by new occupiers Layton Hill Hotels Ltd, which operates the Galtres Lodge Hotel close to York Minster in the city’s Low Petergate.
The company was formed in May 2018 by Christopher Layton and Rebecca Hill.
In a social media post announcing their plans for the iconic Grade II listed building, Ms Hill said:
“We’re going to run it as wedding/events venue.
“It has 11 bedrooms, a huge lawn and loads of public rooms – restaurant, function rooms, reception rooms etc.
“Seems we like cathedral cities and the Old Deanery is opposite the beautiful Ripon Cathedral.”
Having obtained the keys for the property, the two Layton Hill directors are organising a deep clean in readiness for an opening date that will be announced later.
Refurbishment work in progress at the Spa Hotel
Across Ripon, refurbishment work has begun at the Spa Hotel, which was purchased in June by The Inn Collection Group.
Headquartered in Northumberland, the group now owns four sites in Yorkshire in a portfolio of 24 locations across the north of England.
The company says that the Spa Hotel:
“Will remain closed while a major but sympathetic refurbishment is carried out to enhance and repurpose the venue and bring it in line with The Inn Collection Group’s award-winning ‘Eat, Drink, Sleep and Explore’ brand.”
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Sean Donkin, managing director of The Inn Collection Group, said:
“The Ripon Spa is a fantastic addition to our portfolio of properties. It has huge potential which we have an exciting vision to realise. We’re looking forward to starting that journey while expanding the group’s footprint in Yorkshire.
“The Inn Collection Group excels at revitalising classic, landmark sites like The Ripon Spa and realising their full potential with significant capital spend, detailed planning and care to retain the unique, historic character of landmark sites such as this.”
In a third boost to the city’s economy, café-bar-restaurant operator The Loungers Group has confirmed that its Claro Lounge, currently being fitted out on Market Square South, will open on September 15.
All Ripon hornblowers will gather together for Monday night return
Ripon’s hornblowers will make their keenly awaited return to Market Square on Monday night.
Ripon City Council has organised a special gathering to mark the occasion, as all three members of the hornblowing team will be on duty for the city’s 9pm ritual.
Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“We believe that the ceremony, which dates back to 886AD, is the world’s longest unbroken daily tradition.
“It has been a continuous feature of Ripon life since then and is a key element of the city’s proud history.”
The ceremony is carried out around the four corners of the Obelisk on Ripon Market Square
He added:
“To ensure that the return of the hornblowers is properly celebrated, all of them will play a part in the ceremony at the obelisk.
“We said that we would have them back as soon as covid restrictions allow and the city council is keeping that promise.”
Social distancing requirements announced by the government in March 2020 meant that Wayne Cobbett, Alison Clark and Richard Midgley could not perform the ceremony in public.
Instead, the hornblowers, who are employed by the city council and work on a rota basis, kept the tradition alive behind closed doors.
The ‘setting the watch’ ceremony was conducted at their respective homes and was live-streamed on Facebook every evening.
Before the covid lockdown, the nightly event involved them blasting the horn at the four corners of the obelisk and giving a brief talk on the history of Ripon.
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The city council welcomes public attendance at Monday’s event, but attendees will be required to observe social distancing during the ceremony and subsequent history talk.
During summer months in particular, the ceremony attracts large crowds.