Coronavirus: British tourism taking hit as visitors nervous about Covid-19

• Video report and words by ITV News Correspondent Damon Green

York is an international tourist destination. But today it feels deserted.

The visitors aren't visiting.

At his family-run hotel, Greg Harrand suddenly has vacancies he wasn't expecting and his business has taken a hit

He told ITV News: "It's about £30,000 worth of bookings that have cancelled in the last three days, including three American student groups."

He says customers are nervous about the Covid-19 virus.

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Much of Yorkshire depends on visitors for its bread and butter. But now traders are on starvation rations. Tourism experts say it's because travellers don't know what's safe and what isn't.

Sarah Briggs of The Tourism Network told ITV News: "Travellers need very clear signals from the government about what is safe to do, what should they do, can they make plans, is it better to be in the countryside than a town.

"What should we all be doing?"

In Harrogate, the visitors Harry takes on his walking tours of the town are often people on short breaks from other parts of the UK.

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Julie Johns from Cambridge is in the town for a birthday treat, taking part in one of his tours - and there was literally no chance she would cancel that.

She told ITV News: "The groups of indiviudals that have problems, you have to be mindful. But the rest of us, I think it's going to be over very soon and we have to carry on."

But there's no getting away from it - in our biggest tourist hotspots footfall is not what it should be. Everyone who relies on visiting trade from hoteliers to pie makers - is worried

Andrew McLeod of Shambles Sausage and Pie Shop in York told ITV News: "We're heading into Easter, which is a busy time for us. And then onto the summer, which is busy as well. If this starts to drag on and on and on, that's going to have an impact right on through the year.

Just a few weeks ago York was bracing itself for floods. But it seems just as the river starts to recede - trade is drying up too.