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In collaboration with City Cruises York

York’s Festive Appeal Showcased Through National Media Coverage

Visit York has supported a City Cruises York festive group press trip, helping to showcase the breadth of York’s Christmas offer alongside the operator’s river experiences. The three-day media visit, taking place from 20–22 November 2025, was coordinated by Finn Partners with City Cruises York, with Visit York providing destination insight, attraction access and on-the-ground practical support.

As part of the planning, Visit York shared a wide range of ideas for building a festive itinerary around City Cruises’ products. Among the suggested experiences dressed for Christmas, the group visited York Christmas Market, a Christmas Walking Tour, York Minster, Barley Hall and a stroll through the Shambles.

Food and drink options included The Fat Badger, options at the Christmas Market and an afternoon tea at The Milner York’s The Garden Room with a Christmas twist.

To support the group’s time in York, Visit York provided Visit York Passes and arranged VIP passes. This ensured straightforward access to participating attractions and enabled the media group to experience a cross-section of York’s cultural and festive offer alongside their hosted river cruises.

City Cruises York led on the water-based elements of the trip, including sightseeing, Festive Sightseeing and Fish & Chips sailings, as well as planning around York’s Santa Experience. Visit York’s role focused on complementing this with curated city content, practical local knowledge and access to partner attractions through the Visit York Pass.

By working collaboratively with City Cruises and Finn Partners, Visit York has helped to ensure that the media itinerary reflects the variety and quality of York’s Christmas experiences. This activity demonstrates how Visit York’s destination expertise and product partnerships can support high-profile media visits that benefit the wider visitor economy.

Coverage and results include: