A VISITORS' guide that aims to boost tourism in East Lancashire is launched next week.

The 36-page booklet, which is printed as a newspaper, features ideas on a host of hotspots, new visitor attractions, walking and cycling, plus old favourites such as Gawthorpe Hall and Turton Tower.

It also includes ideas on eating out, nightlife, theatres and entertainment venues in and around Lancashire's Hill Country.

The guide will be officially launched on Tuesday at the Helmshore Textile Museum where the Mayor and Mayoress of Hyndburn and the Mayor and Mayoress of Rossendale will join other dignitaries for a guided tour.

Around 100,000 copies of the guide have been produced in conjunction with Newsquest Plc, which owns Lancashire Evening Telegraph, and will be distributed locally and regionally through tourist information centres. The guide can also be requested by logging onto Lancashire's Hill Country new website at www.lancashirehillcountry.co.uk.

County Councillor Ian Ormerod, chairman of Lancashire's Hill Country said: "Tourism is an important industry for East Lancashire, creating jobs, bringing in valuable revenue into the region and promoting the area to inward investors. The 2001 Visitor Guide is bursting with interesting articles and gives the visitor plenty of ideas and excuses to return time and time again."