A NEW tourism partnership has been set up to boost North Yorkshire's holiday industry.

The Moors and Coast Area Tourism Partnership (ATP) is aimed at attracting more visitor to Ryedale, Scarborough, Hambleton and the North York Moors National Park, through a partnership which sees local authorities and private businesses working together.

Chairman of the management board, Clive Rowe-Evans, who is managing director of the Raven Hall Hotel, Ravenscar, said: "The aim is to work together to gain maximum benefit to the tourist industry and boost the visitor economy."

He added: "This is an exciting time for tourism businesses in the moors and coastal areas. We have always been aware that visitors don't recognise district boundaries, but have never really made the most of the attractions and assets in adjoining districts that can add to our tourism offer for visitors.

"Working as a partnership provides us with the chance to make the most of these facilities and also opens up opportunities to access new sources of funding to promote the area and develop tourism projects".

Helmsley hotelier Chris Parkin, who also represents Ryedale District Council, said "We have been working together for many years on a range of individual tourism projects and initiatives with very positive results.

"The partnership provides us with an opportunity to formalise the arrangements and build on the successful work that has already taken place. With ever increasing pressures on local authority budgets, the partnership will provide opportunities to pool resources and to use existing funding more effectively"

The partnership was launched in the grounds of Rievaulx Abbey with the help of Boris, a golden eagle from Falconry UK, of Sion Hall, Thirsk.