Profits soar at Welcome to Yorkshire
Welcome to Yorkshire had a successful year in 2016, more than tripling pre-tax profits.
The tourism organisation, which aims to promote the region though PR, marketing and events, conducted that difficult second year of the Tour de Yorkshire, saying it was a “resounding success”.
The organisation, spearheaded by Sir Gary Verity, turned over £5.2m in the year to March 2017, up from £4.3m. Pre-tax profits nearly quadrupled to £392,242, from £109,928 the year before.
Welcome to Yorkshire said that 2m had attended the Tour de Yorkshire event, which had a broadcast reach of 125m, and according to independent research, brought £60m into the region.
Other notable moments, it said, were winning the BBC’s People’s Choice Awards for their God’s Own County garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and organising the Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub 2016 award, won by The Bull Inn in West Tanfield. It also won the opprunity to host the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, which the government has committed £24m to.
The highest paid director last year at Welcome to Yorkshire received £237,072, up from £207,676 the year before.
Visitor economy employs 250,000 people, it said, with a value of £7.6m per year to the region’s economy.
