Two York St John University Business School students are swapping the chilly Yorkshire winter for sunny southern Spain after winning a cash prize from York’s Guild of Scriveners that will fund their international tourism research project.

Rachel Irvin and Helen Wheat, both third-year students, will use their prize money to fund a trip to Seville, where York St John Business School has close links with both the university and the city, and where they will undertake research for their dissertations on international tourism.

Ian Wolstencroft, Master of the Guild of Scriveners, presented the prize to the winning students.

He said: “Rachael and Helen’s is an impressive application and represents an excellent academic approach to research which will also be relevant to the local business community and to our understanding of international tourism. The judging panel were unanimously impressed.”