WARRINGTON’S Pyramid and Parr Hall and the Lymm Heritage Centre were among the attractions that contributed to the success of the second annual Residents Festival, organised by Marketing Cheshire.
More than 4,000 tickets were snapped up for the week-long festival which enabled residents of Cheshire and Warrington to enjoy some of the county’s attractions for free.
The event, supported by all the councils of Cheshire and Warrington, is seen as a thank you to residents for welcoming growing numbers of tourists to the county and is arranged to coincide with English Tourism Week.
Tourism is booming in Cheshire, with the latest figures showing visitors numbers rose by 7.7 per cent in 2016, with more than 62 million tourists visiting the area.
Katrina Michel, chief executive of Marketing Cheshire, said: “The festival has been a tremendous success and we’ve had some great feedback from residents and attractions across the region. These visits are a wonderful win-win situation for everyone – driving interest from new and existing customers and goodwill all around.”
Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: “It is great to remind ourselves what a glittering array of tourist attractions is on our doorstep in Cheshire and Warrington. Tourism makes a very important contribution to the regional economy and I am delighted that so many attractions have come together to support this successful and imaginative initiative. I hope that this is a building block for more integrated campaigns of this sort.“
Graham Boxer, the Canal and River Trust’s head of museums, said: “Waterways are a key feature of our region and it was a pleasure to welcome locals to the Museum during the festival and see them connecting the history of the museum with the waterways they see around them every day. I’m glad visitors have had such fun using our interactive displays, visiting the museum, enjoying the exhibits and taking boat trips. We hope to welcome many of them back to events during the year.”
Pictured: (L-R)Justin Madders MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, Katrina Michel CEO, Marketing Cheshire and Graham Boxer, head of museums at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
