OTHER funding options are being explored by Welcome To Yorkshire whose £10 million per year backing by Yorkshire Forward is likely to end in 2012.

Tourism delegates attending Welcome To Yorkshire’s annual meeting in Leeds learned chief executive Gary Verity had been in talks with the Government about a need for a clear funding strategy for tourism in the UK.

His board was now awaiting details of a promised blueprint for tourism to be announced at the beginning of next year. He believed the strategy for promoting Yorkshire was working well and should continue, but he recognised “considerable challenges as we move to a new funding model.”

Meanwhile, Welcome to Yorkshire was seeking possibilities such as private company sponsorship, creating new partnerships and was looking to bid for money from the government’s new regional growth fund when it is announced next year.

Already the organisation had trimmed its expenditure by about £1 million by not pursuing some projects planned for 2011. But broadly his message was upbeat but cautious.

For every £1 invested, the organisation claims to have delivered £40 into the Yorkshire economy, of which £9 was generated for the Exchequer – £86 million in total tax.

Mr Verity told the annual meeting: “We are not immune to the issues facing public expenditure and, in particular, reductions proposed by Yorkshire Forward for the final year of the funding contract. While we will continue to oppose the proposed level of any such reduction, the level of proposed funding will still allow us to continue elements of our objectives for 2011/12 and sustain a viable business model while we also seek additional funding from other sources.”