MAKE It York has gone in less than a year from being “relatively cash rich" to "having significant debts", and has now adopted the customary public sector fall-back position of getting the begging bowl out for more taxpayers’ money ( The Press, December).

MIY is one of three organisations ‘promoting’ tourism to York.

What accountability do they have?

What proof do we have that any of them have influenced any tourist to visit that wouldn’t have come anyway?

MIY is owned by York Council, but sees fit to rent two city centre offices rather than work rent free at West Offices HQ.

If business specialist Digby Jones was ever to examine the entire workings of York Council and its empire building, and his recommendations implemented, just think how much more efficient our services would be run, and just how much lower our council tax bills would be.

Geoff Robb,

Hunters Close,

Dunnington

 

...I READ in disbelief the amount of debt accumulated by our ‘tourism chiefs’ and the amount of bailout money they ‘want’ from the council (ie: York’s residents).

Who are Make It York and Visit York?

Who decided it necessary to have ‘a large number’ of paid staff to encourage tourism and to ‘market’ our beautiful historic city?

Tourism is a fickle industry as the large, empty hotels around our coasts will attest.

It is also a self-perpetuating industry - the more businesses springing up to please the tourists, the more our ‘tourism and marketing’ company will have to expand to meet the demand.

Is this what our MP meant when the fight for skilled and sustainable jobs was promised?

I hope that when this huge taxpayer-funded bailout is being considered, the council members decide that York is worth so much more than theme park status.

Susan Bays

Holly Bank Road,

York