Pride Press

Many of Britain's historic towns and cities are important tourist centres. They are very important in attracting large numbers of foreign visitors to Britain. London is Britain's most important tourist centre. Day visitors and British and foreign holiday-makers are attracted to London by its historic buildings, ceremonial events, museums, art galleries, theatres, shops and special tourist attractions.

York is one of Britain's most important tourist cities. It has a long history and many buildings survived from the Middle Ages when it was one of Britain's largest cities. Its major attractions to visitors are: Minster Library, Treasurer's House, St William's College, Art Gallery, St Mary's Abbey, Yorkshire Museum, Wax Museum, the Shambles (medieval street) and many others. It has major museums besides many historic buildings.

Bradford is a city which has made great efforts to develop tourism. It promotes itself as a centre for touring the surrounding area. For many visitors, Bradford has much to offer. You can discover its history and industrial heritage, spend time in the city's museums and galleries which include the National Museum of Photography, Film and TV — Britain's newest national museum. You can also hunt for textile bargains in the millshops.

Beyond the city centre, Bradford encompasses open moors and valleys. The villages have their own attractions: Haworth, the Worth Valley steam railway; Saltaire, the Victorian "model" village.

Historic towns which attract many visitors face difficult decisions when planning for the future. Their residents expect services and amenities to be developed just as in other towns. This needs to be done while still conserving the historic buildings and their features which attract the visitors. Old town centres with narrow streets are unsuitable for the smooth flow of traffic. The pressure of visitors may lead to other problems such as litter, inadequate car parking, accommodation shortages and the development of some tourist attractions and shops which do not fit in with the character of old towns.