CITY Cruises York says the feedback it has received since relaunching its boat trips has been “incredibly positive,” and the attraction has seen a big increase in bookings online compared to this time last year.

The We’re Backing York campaign recently launched by The Press is today focusing on City Cruises York.

The campaign aims to help the city’s tourism industry bounce back and is celebrating the attractions and businesses - big and small - that make York one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

City Cruises York has now fully resumed operations of its sightseeing tours throughout the day, seven days a week. Pre-booking online is encouraged for the one-hour cruise, which takes passengers along the Ouse with a sightseeing commentary. Dining cruises are now also back running on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays with new systems and hygiene procedures in places in line with social distancing guidelines. More information and details on how to pre-book can be found on www.citycruisesyork.com/

A series of new measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all passengers. This includes ensuring all seating is socially distanced by marking off rows, new signage, hand sanitising units, new cleaning processes and a track and trace system.

Mark Mattinson, sales and marketing manager of City Cruises York, said: “The response we have had from customers on the changes has been incredibly positive, with feedback showing that people feel really safe and secure when on board. We are very pleased with how ticket sales have gone since reopening. The changes have meant we have a new on-board capacity but we are already starting to see the boats filling up.

“We are also seeing a big increase in bookings online - with this up 150 per cent from last year – and it is great to see that people are planning ahead - with our forward bookings for the summer looking really encouraging.

"Our self-drive boats are becoming increasingly popular as they lend themselves particularly well to social distancing.”

He said recent booking stats also show that the company has a higher proportion of passengers from York, “which is great as we really want to encourage local residents to come and explore their home city from a different perspective on the river.”