The city of York has had a vast change of its tourism in recent decades. This is a heavily debated topic with York residents, as once famously historical streets such as ‘The Shambles’ have now been moved to a modern era of tourism, and the street is now more associated with the Harry Potter franchise, instead of its historically significant past. Such as being mentioned in the Doomsday book of William the Conqueror in 1086.
Some locals like the fact that the street is bringing in tourism and money because of the Harry Potter franchise. They welcome the tourists and don’t mind that the small street now has 3 ‘wizard shops’
Some locals think the street should be left to hold its own on historical preservation alone, incorporating more traditional shops such as butchers as this is what the Shambles originally was famous for.
I spoke to a local historian about the history of the Shambles and his view on the new Harry Potter tourism wave and to a local resident of York on their thoughts on the rise of Harry Potter tourism within the Shambles.
https://youtu.be/gDD0J2uZykU – NCTJ MOJO piece.
https://youtu.be/WTcQAuCqQko – NCTJ Social media piece.