Welcome to Visit East Yorkshire’s Business page designed to provide support and advice for the tourism industry in the East Yorkshire area. Whether you are an established business or new to the industry you will find plenty of useful information and contacts to help develop your business.

Working in partnership as Visit Hulland East Yorkshire (VHEY)

East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council work together, as the VHEY tourism partnership, to develop and promote tourism in our area.

Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Tourism Strategy 2019 – 2024 (summary).
The ambitious five year strategy for 2019-2024 establishes a clear vision and a set of priorities that both councils and their partners will work towards.

We strongly believe that this joined up approach on tourism delivery will provide clarity, reduce duplication and provide efficiencies.

More importantly the strength of the tourism offer will provide the visitor with more reasons to visit Hull & East Yorkshire, stay longer and spend more money within the local economy. The celebration of Hull as UK City of Culture in 2017 and significant events such as the Tour de Yorkshire provides a unique legacy opportunity which we all must grasp.

It is essential that businesses access and engage with the strategy and work with us to deliver the outcomes. This is the cornerstone of the strategy and ongoing communication with the tourism industry is critical.

A five year action plan 2019-2024 will provide a framework and set out how we will go about our business. We look forward to working with businesses to deliver the benefits.

The VHEY tourism partnership is open to any business with an interest or involvement in the visitor economy, including accommodation providers, suppliers to the tourism industry, visitor attractions, cafes, restaurants and retail outlets, leisure activities and entertainment businesses.

Join the Partnership

Become a partner and your business will benefit from our proactive promotion locally, nationally and internationally through a wide range of campaigns. We will assist you to improve your business skills as well as providing you with the opportunity to network with like minded people who are interested in working together to achieve success.

It’s FREE to join and you will receive these immediate business benefits:

• Free basic listing on website/s www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk or www.visithull.org
• Free customer service and product knowledge training
• Free opportunity to promote your business via the Tourist Information Centres in Beverley, Bridlington and Hull
• Opportunity to participate in our campaigns, publications and website promotions and advertising
• Opportunity to enter the annual REYTA awards

Throughout the year we organise regular formal, informal and informative partnership events covering a variety of subjects designed to provide networking opportunities and you up to date with the latest industry news, products and activities to help you to develop your business.

Sign up here

Tourism Website

www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk is the official tourism website for East Yorkshire. The site offers a host of comprehensive visitor information for East Yorkshire, including accommodation, places to eat, attractions, events, activities and suggested itineraries.

Website promotion is a powerful way to make your business accessible to a worldwide audience. Businesses must be located in East Yorkshire or operate in the Yorkshire Wolds National Character Area. A basic entry on the site is free, simply complete a partnership application form.

East Yorkshire Events

EY Events delivers and supports over 40 events each year in the East Riding of Yorkshire. These events attract thousands of visitors and business tourists, creating approximately 50,000 bed nights and generating in excess of £7 Million for the local and regional economy.

Work varies from organising and delivering events to supporting others with small events grants, providing advice and specialised events knowledge. Please find a selection of some of the events we deliver and support, along with links to their individual websites.

You will also find our contact details at the bottom of this section for if you have an enquiry regarding one of the events we organise, or if you're looking to find out more on how we can help you with your event. 

Email: info@eyevents.co.uk Tel: 01482 391521
EY Events, Room JF75, County Hall, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 9BA

Visit East Yorkshire Visitor Information Centres

Visitor information in East Yorkshire is delivered via a network of Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and Tourist Information Points (TIPs) TIC staff are welcoming, friendly, well informed and skilled in up-selling.

We offer tourism businesses the opportunity to be part of an accommodation booking service and attraction, events and box office services.

To be part of the bed booking scheme accommodation businesses agree to the TICs retaining a 10% of the value of the booking as a prepayment. To use the box office services businesses will agree to a percentage commission on all sales. Download a copy of the Web Box Office Service Agreement.

By working together with the local tourism industry to promote quality services, we aim to provide a customer focused service that increases visitor numbers and spend within the area.

For more information email: info@visiteastyorkshire.co.uk

East Yorkshire Local Food Network (EYLFN)

For generations, the wonderful and varied landscape of the East Riding of Yorkshire and the surrounding area has produced some of the finest foods in England. This is still true today and is a reflection of the knowledge and skill of our members, who are passionate about providing superb food and drink to be discovered and enjoyed by others. 

The East Yorkshire Local Food Network provides a free opportunity for local food and drink businesses to share ideas and resources and work together to bring to market a wide range of delicious local produce. 

Membership applications are welcomed from local food and drink producers, hospitality and retail businesses committed to sourcing and promoting seasonal, local produce as part of their business offer, organisers of farmers' markets and food festivals and suppliers of goods and services to the local food sector. 

FREE MEMBERSHIP - JOIN TODAY AND REAP THE BENEFITS!

EYLFN membership benefits and criteria

Join VHEY and EYLFN online
Alternatively, if you are an existing VHEY partner and meet EYLFN membership criteria and wish to join, please email localfood@eastriding.gov.uk for further information.

Get involved

East Yorkshire Local Food & Rural Tourism Network Steering Group

This informal, business led steering group, facilitated by the Rural Policy & Partnerships Team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, meets 2/3 times per year.
If you are interested in joining the steering group to help shape the development of our rural business networks and future activities and events, please email localfood@eastriding.gov.uk for further information.

Active Coast

Active Coast works with a number of partners to deliver exciting events and activities, support active and healthy communities and are committed to promoting the East Yorkshire coastline as a fantastic destination to visit, live and be active.
Link to active coast website

Business Advice for people starting a business in the East Riding area

East Riding of Yorkshire Council aims to support you in any way they can to make sure your investment and business interests are successful.
You are encouraged to use the team of qualified business advisors as early in the planning stages as possible.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) can provide new businesses with a simple guide to their start-up needs and directed to the appropriate services such as planning food services, licensing etc.

Sound planning, the development of best practice and compliance with the law from the outset, gives rise to longer-term survival rates and prepares you for any potential pitfalls.

ERYC provides free assistance from trained business advisers, who are available for individual support, through our business centre network. 

East Riding 4 Business website

For business advice please contact:
Beverley, Hessle, and surrounding areas: Tel. 01482 880460
Bridlington and surrounding areas: Tel. 01262 401399
Driffield, and surrounding areas: Tel. 01377 240940
Market Weighton, Pocklington and surrounding area: Tel. 01430 803406
Brough, Ferriby, South Cave and surrounding area: Tel. 01482 666624
Goole and surrounding areas: Tel. 01405 767654

Planning Permission

Generally speaking if you want to change the use of a building or alter or extend the building you will almost certainly require planning permission.

However, it is not required for changes to the inside of buildings, or for small alterations to the outside (i.e. alarm boxes, telephone connections).Other small changes, for example putting up walls and fences below a certain height, have a general planning permission for which a specific application is not required. If your property is mortgaged, you must also inform your mortgage provider of any planned change of use to the building

You can check informally with the Council whether your proposal requires planning permission.

In the first instance contact East Riding of Yorkshire Council on 01482 887700 

Website

Fire Regulations

For fire safety advice and the enforcement of the regulatory reform (fire safety order) 2005 contact Humberside Fire and Rescue Public Safety Centre or call 0300 30038242

Insurance

Have you adequate insurance cover? Some insurance brokers have special insurance packages available that include:

• Public liability insurance
• Employers' liability insurance
• Property and contents insurance

Alternatively, you may be able to add extra cover to an existing policy. 

Food Safety Legislation

If your business involves the production, processing, preparation, distribution or sale of food, then (with some limited exceptions) the current food safety laws will apply to your business and you should be registered as a food business with your Local Authority.

Issues you will need to consider include:

• The structure and facilities at your premises
• Training of food handlers
• Food Safety Management System (i.e. how you organise, operate and monitor your business to ensure that you provide safe food at all times)
• Scores on the Doors and National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - Hull and the East Riding operate these schemes so that when a business receives an inspection they are issued with a inspection report and a certificate and window sticker detailing their hygiene score under the scheme
• Any associated licences (i.e. Street trading, sale of alcohol etc.) that you may need to obtain.

For further information on any of the above matters for businesses based within East Yorkshire

Website

Caravan Licensing

The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 requires that no occupier of land can, after commencement of this Act, cause or permit any part of the land to be used as a caravan site unless he or she is a holder of a site license.

If you have land that you wish to develop into a caravan site you must apply for a license. click here for further details and an online application with East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Applicants must first obtain the necessary planning consent from the Council before applying for a site licence. Click here for further details about planning requirements.

Brown Signs

Tourism attractions and facilities may apply for permission to have brown signs to be erected to direct visitors to their business, however tourism signs (brown signs) are not intended as a means of advertising and can only be provided in accordance with strict criteria.

An application pack is available which gives details of the requirements.

If your businesses is in East Riding you can request your pack by:
Email: highways.customer.care@eastriding.gov.uk
Telephone: 01482 395739

Business Funding & Support Opportunities

Visit Hull & East Yorkshire working with partners are determined to support businesses to establish, market and reinvest in the future of the tourism industry in the region.

We will list any opportunities we have to access funding or business support below.