Bury can show us the way to lift tourism

TOURISM bosses in Oldham are being urged to follow Bury’s example as they get ready to spend their cut of a £20m windfall.

Marketing Manchester will share the emergency credit crunch handout from the North-West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) with the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board, Visit Chester & Cheshire, the Mersey Partnership and Cumbria Tourism.

The boost comes as a survey of 3,000 adults unveiled twice as many tourists as last year plan to holiday in Britain rather than abroad in 2009. It also revealed the cost of travelling to a destination is of greater importance than the time it takes.

But coach bosses say many towns and cities will miss out by offering limited facilities to coach operators.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) which represents the bus, coach, and light rail industries — including more than a dozen in the Oldham area — commissioned the survey.

It is calling on councils to improve facilities for coaches — and, says Bury, can show them the way.

The town improved its signs for coach drivers looking for the 500-year-old market and as a result, more than a thousand coaches visited the market in 2007.

Leonard Green, CPT North Western regional manager, said: “Bury has demonstrated a clear commitment to the group travel industry, both in the warm welcome coach passengers receive, and the facilities provided.

“Both the council and attractions have a firm understanding of what is needed to deliver a successful group visit — an operator and driver briefing pack and facilities for the coach and drivers.”

More than 250,000 shoppers flock to Bury’s World Famous Market every week — more visitors than Blackpool and three times more than London’s Tate Britain.

Over the last month, Bury Markets Management has distributed its latest promotional DVD to more 5,000 coach and tour operators nationwide.