HOSPITALITY and tourism businesses struggling in lockdown have another champion to back their cause.

Ena Dent has taken on the role of business support adviser of Visiting North Yorkshire, the tourism organisation which promotes the area.

Ena who runs Craven Garth Farm Holiday Cottages in Rosedale East is an active member of the North York Moors National Park Authority and was chair of Tourism Association North Yorkshire for many years. She was also a long-standing vice chair of the local branch of the Federation of Small Business.

Ena will support business owners with issues they are facing, and lobby local and national government for additional help. She said: “The hospitality sector is a community in itself and successive lockdowns have not only put livelihoods at risk but in many cases left people feeling isolated and impacting on their mental health.“When promoting North Yorkshire during successive lockdowns, falling silent or reducing output is precisely the wrong thing to do as many people are already looking at arranging breaks for when the situation improves. Also those in hospitality may need help, advice, support or sometimes just a listening ear.”

“Spreading the word about our wonderful North Yorkshire landscape and first class hospitality is what Visiting North Yorkshire is all about. They are a dynamic support organisation which is buzzing with ideas to raise the area’s profile but joining up isn’t mandatory. I want to engage with businesses, give them extra support, and see if we can unite to secure ourselves a brighter future.”

Chris Cooper, director of Visiting North Yorkshire, said: “We are passionate about North Yorkshire and all the wonderful businesses which attract visitors to the area. We’ve worked with Ena before on tourism-related projects and we knew she was the best person to team up with in order to make a difference at this crucial time.”