travelling-blogger

comments

As London continues to be the UK's focal point for international tourism, Yorkshire is hoping it can provide a viable alternative to what the capital can offer.

MPs on the Culture Media and Sport select committee are discussing how, and by what means, UK tourism can be shifted so as regions and the north in particular can benefit from increased footfall. 

Since the Tour de France came to Yorkshire, feelings are growing in the county that it can be a realistic competitor to London tourism.

The Royal Household of Harewood House, Yorkshire's answer to Buckingham Palace

The Tour de France trekking through Yorkshire brought a worldwide focus on the county

'I think it's fair to say that following our historic hosting of the Tour de France, Yorkshire's global profile is at an all-time high,' Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire told MailOnline Travel. 

'The Tour gave us the chance to showcase the county on TV screens in 190 countries and it looked magnificent. It's all about getting Yorkshire front of mind, and it's working.

'Our county is now a real alternative for international visitors compared to staples such as London and Scotland. Yorkshire is fast becoming that third dot on the UK tourism map, roughly halfway between the capital and Scotland. 

'Visit Britain's International Passenger Survey 2014 stats show Yorkshire enjoyed its best first half of year for international tourism since 2008. And 2013 was also a brilliant year for us, with a record 35 per cent rise in spend.

'AOL, Lonely Planet and several other leading guides all included our county in the top 10 places to visit globally for 2014.

Perhaps widely known for the Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Tea and Yorkshire puddings, you probably didn't know that the county has four UNESCO sites; Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal in Ripon, Saltaire in Bradford as well as York being named the UNESCO City of Media Arts, and Bradford credited with the title of UNESCO of City of Film.

And for London having the Royal Family and Buckingham Palace, Yorkshire has Harewood House, the Royal Household where William, Kate and Harry officially started the Tour de France. 

For St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London, there's the York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe. And for the London Aquarium how about upgrading to The Deep in Hull, the world's only 'submarium'

Mr Verity added: 'International visitors like our real seasons and changing scenery all year round, which makes Yorkshire an appealing proposition 365 days a year. 

'We have more listed buildings than there are chateaux in France, five national museums, three national parks, a stunning coastline and four UNESCO sites – and that's just a taste of what Yorkshire has to offer. It's a compelling mix, in easy reach of the capital and by international standards everything is close together.

The York Minster is a popular tourist destination and is the largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe

St Paul's Cathedral, London; but can the York Minster be the northern equivalent?

Officials in Yorkshire believe they are in pole position to attract global tourists to the county

'We've always said tourism is a powerhouse sector and Welcome to Yorkshire will continue to build on these solid foundations and also lobby Government for support to promote the county around the world to help grow the economy and create jobs for years to come.'

But with almost 90 per cent of tourism outside of London restricted to persons from within the UK, the fear remains that any moves to facilitate worldwide tourism could impact domestically.

This led to leading tourist organisations in the UK, British Destinations, to voice their concerns with exactly how the government propose to implement a spread of tourism. 

The Deep in Hull is the world's biggest 'submarium' attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year

Whitby Abbey at the Yorkshire Moors National Park has been preserved to incredible lengths

The Yorkshire Dales' beauty stretches for miles and gives a unique look into Yorkshire life

Peter Hampson, CEO of British Destinations told MailOnline Travel: 'While we are obviously all for international tourism spreading throughout the UK, it was important to question the value of distributing tourists where there is limited resource.

'You've got to ask, why wouldn't tourists go to London? There's everything there and it is an established destination that has the resources to cater for increasing demands of tourism.

'It isn't simply a question of inviting people to travel to other areas of the UK, we've got to see what attracts them to London in the first place, and then see how other places can provide for their needs.'