Proposals were today (6 July) unveiled for a new-look tourism organisation to promote tourism in York over the next decade and beyond.

Members of City of York Council's City Strategy and Executive Member Advisory Panel will be asked to endorse the proposals as part of a  shake-up of tourism.

The new organisation will drive the development of tourism in York, setting the direction for tourism for the next ten years through a more co-ordinated tourism, marketing and product development activities. It will lead on the overall marketing of York as a visitor destination, and will work with partners to improve York's public space, visitor attractions, accommodation and services to visitors.

The new tourism organisation, will look to grow visitor spending in York, building on the achievements of the First Stop York tourism partnership, which includes City of York Council, York Tourism Bureau and the York Hospitality Association, working with the Yorkshire Tourist Boards and Yorkshire Forwarded.

A working group from the First Stop York Tourism Partnership has been looking at how the arrangements might work in York. Under the group's proposals, a Company Limited by Guarantee would be established to promote York as a tourist destination. If agreed by all partners, the company would have a brand new name and would be run by a board of 13 directors - three of which would be nominated by the council. The roles of chair and eight other directors would be advertised, with a chief executive filling the final post.

If the proposals are agreed, the next phase would involve preparing a business plan for the company, setting out strategic objectives, working arrangement and budgets.

Ian Tempest, the council's tourism manager, said: "The council is keen to work with all parties to grow tourism in York as it makes such a huge contribution to the well-being of the city.  A single organisation can help move the city on to an even higher level."

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of York Tourism Bureau, said: "This new partnership will help us to develop the long term future of York and greater York as a premier visitor destination.  Having recently won the title European Tourism City of the Year, York is now in a very strong position to grow its tourism economy both domestically and internationally."

Tourism is one of York's major generators of economic benefits, with one in ten of the local workforce (9,970 people) employed directly or indirectly in tourism. Tourism spending by visitors has risen by 62 per cent since 1993, to £332.9m in 2006.

Yorkshire Forward has set an overall target of a five per cent growth in tourism earnings per annum up to 2010 in the region.