Weekend Staycations: Yorkshire’s Seven Cities Celebrated As Destination Choices To Escape The Everyday

Welcome to Yorkshire is to encourage visitors back to the county with a Yorkshire Northern Cities promotion funded by VisitBritain as part of their national campaign “Escape the Everyday”. Supporting and showcasing our spectacular cities is a vital priority following turbulent times for tourism, particularly in the weeks and months ahead, and as some continued restrictions remain in place following recent Government announcements.

With a focus on the county’s seven glorious cities of Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Ripon, Sheffield, Wakefield and York, the digital campaign was launched on June 4th and will run for four weeks, with dedicated promotions for each city on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram stories, specifically targeting the young couples and empty nester customer profiles.

The campaign has been designed based on VisitBritain’s COVID-19 consumer sentiment tracker that indicates how holiday planners are favouring countryside and rural destinations over cities, with bigger cities reporting a slow return to previous footfall figures.

In addition to promoting the unique offerings of each city, the campaign is linked to the VisitBritain booking channel TXGB and introduces a ‘Book Now’ action making it easy for visitors to book their destination choice and experiences. Welcome to Yorkshire is delighted to be able to offer its tourism members across the county extremely competitive, low commission rates, particularly compared to many mainstream market platforms, which is important during this time of recovery.

Initial figures already show excellent engagement with an online reach of almost a million, plus almost two and a half million impressions, and continuing to rise.

Escape the Everyday to Northern Cities

From shopping, museums, bars and restaurants to spa relaxation and heritage offers, each of Yorkshire’s seven cities shine through with their own personality. Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Ripon, Sheffield, Wakefield and York, are promoted with a vibrant, bespoke video, and all individual city messaging includes links to the initiative’s landing page on yorkshire.com


Among the campaign experiences are food tours in Leeds, a shopper’s paradise with all the big high street retailers, markets and many more designer boutiques filling the multiple shopping centres and arcades that reside in the centre. Leeds is truly famed for its nightlife and any stay in the city should include Call Lane for edgy bars and music, Greek Street for cocktails or check out one of the many rooftop bars looking over the skyline filled with breathtaking architecture.

Renowned as the “curry capital of the world”, neighbouring Bradford is the world’s first UNESCO City of Film and enjoys a creative, flourishing arts scene. Birthplace to JB Priestley, the Brontë Sisters and David Hockney, the city has strong artistic and literary connections and is home to the National Science and Media Museum and the pioneering Impressions Gallery.

Wakefield loves good food and celebrates its affinity with rhubarb and liquorice with gusto. Visitors can enjoy a variety of culinary experiences, from international fine dining to a pint of real ale in a cosy pub. Delve into Wakefield’s heritage with a tour of the National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield Cathedral or the National Trust’s Nostell. Plus don’t miss The Hepworth Wakefield, The Art House and a wonderfully intimate night at Theatre Royal Wakefield.

York’s heritage needs no introduction and shopping is plentiful with many unique finds in the city’s independent boutiques, with all the high street favourites and the Shambles Market and Food Court. There’s no need to venture far through the medieval cobbled streets with over 30 attractions in less than a square mile, including museums, galleries, York Minster and award-winning experiences such as Jorvik Viking Centre.

From gin making to escape rooms and The Deep aquarium there’s plenty in Hull for the experience seeker. Visitors can soak up the maritime culture on the Fish Trail, explore the cobbled streets of the old town, free museums and visit the bustling boutiques and the Humber Street stores.

Referred to as ‘The Outdoor City’ almost two-thirds of Sheffield’s landscape is green space. Visit the Winter Garden and Sheffield Botanical Gardens before immersing yourself in the magnificent culture of Sheffield Cathedral and the city’s museums. It’s also a thriving hub where live music, sports, theatre, independent shops and nightlife draw in visitors from miles around, making it the ideal destination for a city break with a difference.

Beautiful historic Ripon is steeped in heritage, with its impressive cathedral, fascinating museums and a bustling market square. The National Trust’s Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden (an impressive UNESCO World Heritage site) and the luxurious Grantley Hall hotel, with its Michelin-starred chef, Shaun Rankin are on the doorstep.

With excellent train connections from around the country to York, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Hull, Wakefield and onward bus connections to Ripon, Welcome to Yorkshire is keen to promote sustainable travel choices while enjoying an urban escape in the county and discovering new places to go.

A Safe Stay with We’re Good to Go

Both Welcome to Yorkshire and the majority of their members have integrated enhanced safety measures into their daily operations to comply with the VisitBritain industry standard ‘We’re Good to Go’.


To view the campaign visit https://www.yorkshire.com/inspiration/escape-the-everyday