Welcome to Yorkshire’s assets put up for sale by administrators
The business and assets of Leeds-based tourism body, Welcome to Yorkshire, are being offered for sale, three weeks after it was confirmed the troubled organisation was being placed into administration.
The administrators, Armstrong Watson LLP, are currently seeking offers for the business as a going concern and from buyers interested in rare domain names including www.yorkshire.com
The business’s assets include the www.letour.yorkshire.com, the White Rose tourism awards, ‘Y’ Magazine and over 150 domain names, trademarks and patents.
The deadline for best and final offers is 4pm 28 March 2022. Parties interested in the business or assets should contact welcometoyorkshire@armstrongwatson.co.uk
Should a buyer not be found, acting agents BPI Asset Advisory RICS, will be auctioning all assets individually – including the 150 domain names – via online auction at www.bpiauctions.com
Andrew Cromack, BPI asset advisory director and RICS valuer, said: “We are seeing significant interest in the business as a going concern from the travel & tourism sector as we’d expect, in addition to multiple enquiries from publishing outlets.
“A domain such as www.yorkshire.com coming to market will always cause a stir due to its rarity. From existing Yorkshire businesses or those expanding into the region, brands looking for campaign domains or simply proud Yorkshire bidders, we expect high levels of interest.”
Rob Adamson, joint administrator, added: “We continue to seek a buyer for the Welcome to Yorkshire business following our appointment as administrators on 1st March 2022.
“We’re keen to hear from any interested parties in the purchase of the business as a whole, or its individual assets, including the iconic www.yorkshire.com domain name, so synonymous with this beautiful region.”
At the beginning of the this month, the chairman of Welcome to Yorkshire confirmed the regional tourism agency had run out of options following an “incredibly difficult” three years.
He said the impact of the pandemic and the task of securing sufficient funding from public and private sectors to place the organisation on a sound financial footing, had made the situation increasingly difficult.
