THE jobs news has certainly been gloomy in York this year.

Job losses have been announced at Nestle Rowntree, Norwich Union and British Sugar - and now workers at Portakabin face a four-day week.

But one industry continues to fly the flag for York. Tourism is going from strength to strength, as last Friday's York Tourism Awards illustrated so magnificently.

Last year, York made £300 million from tourism - the highest-ever figure. This really is very encouraging and so many people played a part in this success story, not least Greek-born taxi driver Dionysis Bekatorus, who won York's Ambassador Award for his sterling work with tourists.

Everyone working in tourism deserves to feel pleased about their efforts. However, this is not the time to sit back and think we have cracked it. York has done well - but it needs to do even better.

This is why York Tourism Bureau has launched a new initiative under the banner "We love new York". Part of the aim is to demonstrate that York still has lots of new things to offer.

There is also a move to win back all those American tourists who have stayed away since the September 11 terror attacks. Before that dreadful date, some 500,000 Americans visited York every year. This figure was nearly cut in half, but has been growing quietly.

Other efforts are facing East, with tourism chiefs hoping that the city is about to become a favourite destination for the Chinese. There was further encouraging news last week, with the announcement of a dedicated coach service to and from Leeds-Bradford Airport, which, in effect, makes this York's own airport. Never forget, too, the city's two universities, which attract visitors to York in their thousands. So times may be hard, but tourism is one industry on the up and up.