York's heritage and history have long been the key attraction for the millions of tourists who visit each year.

But now tourist bosses say another feature of the city is becoming almost as big a draw - its shops.

More and more visitors are saying they come to York at least partly because of the great shopping experience it offers.

And their big spend was worth an estimated £100 million to York's economy last year.

Now the bureau is adjusting its marketing campaigns to take advantage of, and promote, York's retail strengths.

The growing trend has been picked up in an analysis of the results of a visitor survey conducted last year on behalf of First Stop York - a partnership of the city council and the tourist industry.

York Tourism Bureau marketing manager Craig Wilson said 70 per cent of all visitors questioned said they had particularly enjoyed shopping in York.

And 48 per cent of UK visitors to York said that shopping was one of their main reasons for coming here.

He anticipated that the opening of the Monks Cross and McArthurGlen out- of-town shopping centres in late 1998 would lead to last year's £100 million tourist spend being topped this year.

He said the bureau was pursuing a number of strategies to capitalise on York as a shopping centre.

There would be a major shopping-related "advertorial" double-page spread going in next month's edition of Livewire, GNER's free magazine for rail passengers on the East Coast Line.

Efforts were also being made to attract some of the 400,000 car-borne visitors who travel to Newcastle by ferry each year from Germany, Holland, Norway and Sweden.

The bureau might also seek to develop shopping short breaks in York.

"The city's history and heritage and attractions, such as the Minster, the National Railway Museum, Jorvik Viking Centre and castle Museum, are still York's main tourist attractions," he said. "But shopping is coming up on the rails more and more."

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