Thursday, 6th November 2025, saw the first meeting of the newly formed Visit North Yorkshire Advisory Group. The group, which is made up of some of North Yorkshire’s leading tourism representatives, will support the development and delivery of North Yorkshire’s 10-year Destination Management Plan (DMP) and help to shape the future of the county’s visitor economy.
The group includes 27 representatives from the tourism sector and is chaired by operations director for the National Trust in Yorkshire, Justin Scully. Members of the group include attractions, accommodation providers, arts and cultural venues, leading national organisations including English Heritage and the National Trust. Protected landscapes are represented by the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks and the Nidderdale and Howardian Hills National Landscapes. Disability Action Yorkshire and representatives from the county’s Business Improvement Districts are also involved.
The first meeting focused on the priorities and challenges for the sector, opportunities to strengthen collaboration across the sector and through the York & North Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), alongside updates from VisitEngland and the Visit North Yorkshire team.
Head of Tourism, Tony Watson said: “Today’s first meeting of the Advisory Group marks an important step forward for Visit North Yorkshire. Collaboration is key to our success, so it was encouraging to see such a broad and respected mix of voices around the table, all committed to shaping the county’s future as a leading visitor destination.
The Advisory Group will play a vital role in guiding the development of our Destination Management Plan, ensuring that North Yorkshire’s visitor economy grows in a way that is sustainable, inclusive, and delivers real benefits for our communities and businesses.”
For further details, read the press release from North Yorkshire Council here.
The membership of the advisory group will evolve and continue to be reviewed to reflect the needs of North Yorkshire’s tourism industry, with the next meeting due to be held in early 2026.
Organisations represented on the group are: Business Improvement Districts, Classic Lodges Hotels, Disability Action Yorkshire, English Heritage, Golden Grid restaurant in Scarborough, Grantley Hall, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate International Festivals, Howardian Hills National Landscape, Layton Hill Hotels, Mr B Hospitality, National Trust, Newby Hall, Nidderdale National Landscape, Nidderdale Plus, North York Moors National Park Authority, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Sealife Centre in Scarborough, Starling Independent Bar, Cafe and Kitchen in Harrogate, Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, The Tourism Network, Transdev, Wenningdales Escapes, West Acre Lodge, World of James Herriot, York St John University, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
