HOTELIERS have been given a grand tour of their home town in a bid to bring more tourists to Bury.

Leisure bosses say it is vital that those who provide accommodation know what's on offer in their own back yard.

In 1998, visitors spent more than £13 million in the borough, and Bury Council is keen to make sure that this increases and that tourists get the most out of their trip.

Jill Youlton, Irwell Valley tourism marketing officer, said that hoteliers were often the first point of contact for visitors. Their knowledge was therefore crucial in creating a good first impression. The tour was to make sure that accommodation providers knew what was going on and where else visitors could get advice.

The tour began with lunch at the East Lancashire Railway cafe in Bury before moving on to the recently refurbished Tourist Information Centre at The Met in Market Street. Later, a coach took them around some of the borough's more interesting sites.

There was also a talk from the English Tourism Council on how local hoteliers could join a national accommodation grading scheme, thus encouraging more visitors to stay with them.

Jill added: "We must work together to offer visitors an excellent experience. The accommodation sector will become increasingly competitive and today's visitors are even more demanding with regards to quality and service."