Welcome to Yorkshire going into administration after ‘incredibly difficult’ three years

Regional tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire is to be placed into administration.

The news was confirmed by the troubled organisation earlier this afternoon – 1 March.

In a statement, the organisation’s chairman, Peter Box, says: “It was with deep regret that last night the Board of Welcome to Yorkshire (WtY) took the decision to place the organisation into administration.

“The past three years have been incredibly difficult for Board members and staff as we have endeavoured to deal with well-publicised legacy issues.

“These matters, coupled with the impact of Covid and the task of securing sufficient funding from the public and private sectors to place WtY on a sound financial footing, have made the situation increasingly challenging.”

Leeds-headquartered Welcome to Yorkshire has had a turbulent recent history, starting with the scandal surrounding former chief executive Sir Gary Verity, who left the organisation in 2019.

Since then, the body which was responsible for bringing the Grand Depart of the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014 has faced a number of funding problems,  warning at one point that it could be forced to close its doors if local authorities can’t guarantee an additional £1.4m of funding.

Last October also saw its latest chief executive James Mason leave and Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, chief executive of the Piece Hall step down as a board member .

Peter Box

In his statement today, Box says the de Bois review of Destination Management Organisations could have created an opportunity for WtY “to be given the structure and long-term funding required to move on, grow and develop into the organisation we believe it should be on behalf of Yorkshire and its people.”

He adds: “Sadly, the decision of the Yorkshire Leaders not to commit to a multi-year funding package, whilst understandable, removed that pathway and means that WtY cannot continue in its present form.

“I want to pay tribute to the team of talented and dedicated professional staff who have continued to do remarkable work in the toughest of circumstances to promote Yorkshire’s many attractions to the world. I offer my heartfelt thanks and wish them well in their future careers.

“I must also place on record my gratitude to those Board members who have remained with WtY, working selflessly in a collective effort to save the organisation from closure.

“It is my sincere hope the public sector will recognise the value of a new regional Destination Management Organisation to build on the many achievements of WtY.

“This can offer our tourism industry the chance to move forward with a focused approach, deliver on regional priorities, and secure the best outcomes for everyone who visits, lives, works and studies in Yorkshire.”

Rob Adamson, Michael Kienlen and Daryl Warwick of Armstrong Watson LLP have been appointed Joint Administrators of Welcome to Yorkshire on 1 March 2022.

The Joint Administrators say they intend to trade the company for a period of time whilst they finalise a strategy to secure the best possible result for creditors.

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