A TOUR guide from York could be crowned a national tourism superstar.

Dorian Deathly is one of the top 10 finalists vying for the VisitEngland title, and people are being urged to get involved in a public vote which runs until March 22 - with the favourite announced on March 26. 

  • Get involved by voting here. 

Dorian first gained a following by live streaming his night-time walks around York telling ghost stories during the pandemic ‘to keep sane’ after losing his job as a tour guide.

“To be shortlisted for award on a national scale is absolutely incredible,” he said.

Dorian Deathly, whose Deathly Dark Tours was named new tourism business of the year at the Visit York tourism awards 2022, had worked as a tour guide for more than seven years in York and always dreamed of starting his own ghost tour. 

  • Check out the Visit York tourism awards 2022 gallery.

When the pandemic hit, he lost his job and began to livestream his walks around the city at night, telling ghost stories, onto his Facebook page, as a way to keep sane.

Due to demand, these became a regular occurrence - the free, virtual Ghost Tour of Haunted York, attracting more than 10,000 fans on Facebook alone. 

In August 2020 Dorian launched his own real life walking tour which now runs four nights a week. 

He said: “I take great pride in my spooky little tour, and considering that the business was launched amidst the pandemic I’m constantly staggered by the amount of guests who choose to join me, sharing an evening of weird and wonderful tales in the streets of York.” 

York’s tourism sector supported 24,000 jobs pre-Covid, annually welcoming 8.4 million visitors to the city and bringing in an estimated £765 million total visitor spend.  

Ashley Young, of Make It York, said: “We’re incredibly proud that one of York’s most highly regarded walking tours is one of the finalists for VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar. 

“During the pandemic, he kept many of us entertained by streaming his walks online and it’s no surprise that people rushed to sign up for the physical tours once restrictions lifted. 

“Dorian Deathly thoroughly deserves to be this year’s Tourism Superstar and we hope that the City of York and anyone who has been on Dorian’s tour will give him their vote.”