MORE than 200 top accountants from all over Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean countries plan to converge on North Yorkshire for a five-day conference.

Delegates from the Paris-based Eura Audit International will base themselves in Ripon from October 21, but devote two days to sampling the delights of York and Harrogate.

This will be the 16th annual Eura Audit conference but only the second ever to be held in the UK. Hosts will be Eura Audit UK's Tadcaster office.

On day two, the first full day of the visit, the accountants will be taken on a guided tour of York, visiting the Jorvik centre in Coppergate and lunching on a Viking menu at the Merchant Taylors' Hall before being let loose on the city.

The visit has been welcomed by Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau, who said: "It's a great opportunity to showcase York to an international audience. They are obviously here with a business objective but the fact that they are spending a day to see the city could mean a spin-off of yet more leisure visits in the future.

"Sampling the delights of North Yorkshire as a whole will obviously benefit York too."

On Sunday, October 23 there will be visits to Ripon Cathedral, or a walking tour of the city after a service at St Wilfred's Catholic Church, followed by a civic reception at Ripon Town Hall and a walking tour of Fountains Abbey and Studley Water Gardens.

A visit to Harrogate the following day will include a tour and lunch at Harewood House and a shopping expedition to the town.

The conference itself will feature presentations on How to Improve Your Income and How To Reduce Your Costs through outsourcing, How to Get the Best IT, and How to Market Financial Services.

Andrew Ferguson, partner of Eur4a Audit UK's Tadcaster office, said: "We are delighted to be hosting the 2005 conference.

"This is a high profile event and a great opportunity to meet with fellow accountancy professionals from different countries."

Updated: 10:47 Tuesday, July 26, 2005