WITH such high hopes for the forthcoming Royal Ascot in York I am surprised that at least some of the £650,000 Yorkshire Forward grant (February 18) to City of York Council has not been spent refurbishing two centres to be used by thousands of racegoers - the tourist information centres (TIC) at the De Grey Rooms and the railway station.

Yorkshire Forward and David Andrews of Yorkshire Tourist Board have described Royal Ascot as the major opportunity to promote North Yorkshire of recent years.

These council-run sites should reflect Coun Steve Galloway's wish to put the "whole region on the map" and promote a planned, professional and prosperous image of York.

Despite efforts by those contracted to supply the TIC service, the present information premises look worn and dated with many of the fixtures and fittings appearing to be decades old.

The overall impression is now one of a provincial backwater unwilling to support tourism.

Surely, these cannot be the images we wish our Royal Ascot visitors to see.

How will the thousands of corporate racegoers be attracted to the region if it appears existing business is not supported?

With only a short time before the racing starts, a major opportunity to burnish the image of York is now, I fear, lost forever.

GL Fisher,

Shipton Road,

York.

Updated: 09:29 Wednesday, March 30, 2005