VISITORS were given a special welcome to York when a new Visitor Information Centre opened in the city.

Characters from the York Theatre Royal’s summer production The Wind In The Willows, opened the new centre at 1 Museum Street, alongside Cinderella and her ugly sisters from the Grand Opera House, some vagrants from York Dungeons and a Viking from Jorvik.

A samba band played in St Helen’s Square to attract people to visit the centre, which has been kitted out with information screens giving up-to-date information on events and tourism news and internet points for visitors to browse the Visit York website for information.

Gillian Cruddas said the new £900,000 visitor centre was a huge departure from the usual tourist information centre.

She said: “This project has been several years in the planning and is the biggest single investment in visitor information for many years.”

Attractions can use exhibition space in the centre, which is currently occupied by the York Castle Museum, whose infamous turnkey Thomas Ward greets visitors from a big screen.

The centre also sells Yorkshire produce from local artisans and food businesses, including Northallerton’s Lewis and Cooper, Yorkshire Stoneware from Doncaster and wooden toys and gifts from York’s Tom Thumb Designs.

Christine Morton, visitor services manager for Visit York, who will run the new centre, said it would be a centre for everyone, showcasing attractions in York and Yorkshire for tourists and residents.

“Local people that live here and work here are also best placed here to find out what to do today, tomorrow, when it rains or during half term.”

She is aiming to increase visits to the information centre by 40 per cent.