York
York
Only In York
- A meetings destination for 2,000 years, York is one of England’s finest and most historic cities.
- York is a creative city and UNESCO agrees. York was declared a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts on December 1, 2014. It was the first city in the UK to achieve this status.
- Heritage and innovation combine in York, where medieval architecture and contemporary culture come together.
- York is home to the UK’s largest gothic cathedral, with stained-glass windows the size of a tennis court.
- The Shambles is one of the best preserved medieval streets in the world, with twisting cobbled lanes and buildings that date back to the 14th and 15th Centuries.
- Since Roman times, York has been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England.
- The National Railway Museum is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles such as Mallard, Stirling Single, Duchess of Hamilton and a Japanese bullet train.
Getting Here
York’s venues, hotels and attractions are all within easy reach of both the UK’s major business centres and overseas destinations.
BY PLANE
York’s closest airport is only a 50 minute drive away at Leeds Bradford and offers direct access to Belfast, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Geneva, Paris, Rome and Venice.
Manchester International is under two hours away by car. It serves overseas destinations including New York, Atlanta, Beijing, Berlin, Boston and Brussels.
Newcastle Airport is under two hours away from York. It serves European destinations such as Dublin, Hamburg, Munich and Paris.
BY TRAIN
London is under two hours, with direct services in and out of King’s Cross and St Pancras International and its Eurostar terminal. Newcastle is one hour by train, while guests can travel to and from Manchester in around 90 minutes.
BY CAR
It takes around four hours to drive to York from London, up the M1 motorway. Manchester to York is a 90-minute car journey via the M62. Leeds is only a 40-minute trip by road.
Expertise
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BiotechnologyYork excels in bioscience and is at the centre of the UK’s bio-economy. It boasts process industry infrastructure and skills, research and innovation expertise. It has proven capability in technology translation, plus strong connectivity through excellent logistics, supply chains and networks. The University of York is ranked 6th in the UK for biosciences by the Guardian University Guide 2021. York-based biotech company, Circa Group, has developed a bio-based, renewable solvent, which won the Environmental Leader’s Top Product 2019 Award. |
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Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)In 2021, University of York will open a £35 million research centre, working with industrial partners and world experts in the field of robotics and AI. Specialist laboratories and testing facilities will investigate everything from driverless cars to hospital robots. The UK Research Partnership Investment Fund has provided £10.5 million, with £24.5 million secured through match funding from industrial and philanthropic partners. The university also has a number of existing programmes in the field, including the York Centre for Quantum Technologies. The new research centre will build on existing expertise and establish three central research pillars: design, assurance and communications. |
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Creative industriesThe creative industries represent the fastest growing sector of York’s economy and the University of York is home to Digital Creativity Labs, a world centre of excellence for impact-driven research in games, interactive media and the rich space where they converge. In 2018, the university, in partnership with Screen Yorkshire and the British Film Institute, was awarded £5.5 million to develop a creative cluster around the screen industry. The funding supports film, television, games and related art and media in the city. The sector is growing strongly and predicted to be worth £195 million to the York economy by 2024. |
Where to stay
York offers an outstanding selection of hotels to suit all tastes and budgets. From privately-run boutique hotels to well-known brands, there’s plenty of quality accommodation to choose from.
| 5* hotels | 207 bedrooms |
| 4* hotels | 882 bedrooms |
| 3* and under properties | 951 bedrooms |
| Other (student accommodation / home sharing) | 1,266 bedrooms |
Venues
York is a city where, around the next medieval cobbled street, you’re likely to find a blend of historic and contemporary state-of-the-art meetings and event venues of all types and sizes.
Incentives
A city where Romans and gruesome ghost stories collide with cutting-edge technologies to provide an eclectic mix of culture and heritage. With hidden gems and unique experiences around every corner, groups will not be disappointed.
Visit York
Visit York is on hand to work with group travel organisers and event planners to ensure you get the best from your visit. A friendly team can provide everything you’ll need including images, itineraries, tour guides, maps, attraction passes, coach parking information plus much more.
