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Welcome to Yorkshire (WTY) is the official tourism agency for the traditional county of Yorkshire, the UK's largest county, promoting Yorkshire tourism both nationally and internationally. It was formerly known as the Yorkshire Tourist Board until 2009, but underwent a rebranding: a new Welcome to Yorkshire brand, a new website, the launching of various new marketing campaigns and a move to the present site in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The stated aim of the organisation is: 'to grow the county’s visitor economy'. The current Chief Executive is Sir Gary Verity.
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Activities
Following the 2009 rebranding, Welcome to Yorkshire has become involved in a range of new campaigns and initiatives. Aside from the more traditional forms of tourism marketing usually associated with tourist boards, Welcome to Yorkshire has been involved in cultural partnerships such as the Yorkshire entries to the Chelsea Flower Show, The Railway Children tour, the Hockney tour and the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle; the largest initiative of its kind in Europe. They are also an official partner of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, sponsoring the team's Twenty20 tour of South Africa in 2012.
Welcome to Yorkshire spearheaded the campaign to host the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour de France in the county, to showcase the natural beauty of the region as well as its ability to stage world class events. On 14 December 2012 when Yorkshire was confirmed as the starting place for the historic cycle race.
A key component of the WTY brand is its website, which serves both as a base for the various campaigns and promotions launched by the organisation and as a database for tourism across the county. It is one of the UK's most visited tourism websites.
White Rose Awards
WTY also host the annual White Rose Awards; to recognise excellence in the field of tourism. The awards have been held every year since 1989 in various locations throughout Yorkshire, including Leeds United's Centenary Pavilion, Doncaster Racecourse, Bridlington Spa and the Harrogate International Conference Centre. The ceremony is the largest of its kind in the UK, with over 1000 guests. The awards recognise a wide range of achievement in tourism provision, such as best large and small hotels, pubs, restaurants, camping and caravan sites and cultural events. The honours are awarded by an independent panel of judges.
Honours
Welcome to Yorkshire has received international recognition for its work; it received a prize for World's Leading Marketing Campaign in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2010, WTY received an award for Europe's Leading Marketing Campaign. In all of these years WTY was also nominated for the title of World's Leading Tourist Board.
WTY have also had individual campaigns praised, receiving Gold, Silver, Silver-gilt and People's Choice awards for their work at the Chelsea Flower Show as well as an award for Leading European Marketing Innovation in 2012. Welcome to Yorkshire made Chelsea history in 2013 by becoming the first entrants to win four People's Choice Awards in a row with their artisan garden 'Le Jardin de Yorkshire', which celebrated the county's hosting of the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour de France with a Yorkshire Dales themed entry.