York inspired parts of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series (Image: Getty)
The and ancient architecture of may evoke a quintessential English idyll for many, but the day-to-day reality experienced by locals speaks to a drastically different view.
The North Yorkshire city was the inspiration for parts of the books, and wizarding fans make up a crucial part of its annual numbers.
But local officials are now trying to backpedal on this universal appeal after swelling numbers began to make life “hell on earth” for year-round residents.
York saw nine million tourists crowd its narrow streets last year, with many attracted by the famous Shambles shopping street, which inspired JK Rowling’s Diagon Alley, as well as the city’s Medieval Minster and Roman walls.
The scale of the visitor influx is so great that the council is considering adding a to hotel bills. Locals have described central York as “horrific” and said they avoid it at weekends.
According to long-term residents, Harry Potter fans make up a sizeable percentage of the tourist hoards, alongside hen parties and stag dos.
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Shane Sayner, 47, who works as a cleaner in the area, told : “It’s absolutely dreadful now with all the hen parties and racegoers. There aren’t enough toilets so people urinate in doorways and you can smell it in the mornings.
“It gets chaotic from around 1pm on a Saturday. Parents will take their kids into town and there will be people screaming, drunk, waving inflatable genitalia.”
Labour-led York City Council is planning to introduce a new levy to tackle the growing problem, with councillors dubbing it a “no brainer” way to discourage visitors and boost funding to improve local infrastructure.
While local authorities cannot impose such levies directly, the council is considering working with hotels and other businesses to set up a voluntary scheme or collect the charges through a business improvement district.
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The pretty cathedral city drew nine million visitors last year (Image: Getty)
Julie Smith, 34, works as a hospital nurse in the city. She told The Sun: “York is teeming with tourists at times, coming here for the Harry Potter type of experience down the Shambles and the Roman walls.
“You can’t move at times for people taking selfies. I think asking visitors to York to pay a small fee is not unreasonable.”
Sallyann Driscoll, 50, who works at a boarding school, added: “You get the hen dos from Newcastle in the summer and the Chinese, Americans and other foreign tourists hitting the Shambles, which they see as a Harry Potter movie set.
“At Christmas, it is horrific. I go in the week and it is lovely, but you won’t get many locals going there on a weekend – it’s hell on earth.”
Harry Potter fans play a crucial role in York’s tourist trade (Image: Getty)
Councillor Pete Kilbane recently suggested that a European-style levy of £2.50 per tourist could raise up to £5 million a year.
But experts have warned that the new charge could be too effective and threaten to damage the city’s thriving visitor industry.
Andrew Pawson, CEO of Continuum Attractions, : “Tourism is a vital driver for the city, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing significantly to the local economy.
“Any reduction in visitor numbers could have a cascading effect on restaurants, attractions and other businesses.
“This boom could be put at risk by imposing additional taxes, which would make an affordable family day out just that little bit more expensive and highlight York as a place erecting barriers to tourism.”