BOLTON’S booming tourism industry has generated more than £420 million for the local economy, according to new figures.

Hugely popular events like the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the gruelling Ironman UK Triathlon helped boost the town's tourism income to £420.4 million in 2015, an increase of 3.7 per cent on the previous year's figure of £405.5m.

The figures, released by Bolton Council, also show that the total number of visitors increased from 6.4 million to 6.5 million, a 2.2 per cent rise.

It is expected that the ongoing development of the town centre, including the growing number of attractions at the Market Place Shopping Centre, will mean tourism income has increased even further in the last 12 months.

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, said: “It is clear that Bolton is a popular destination and we are committed to attracting more people to the borough.

"Fantastic events like our Food and Drink Festival, the continued success of the Ironman UK Triathlon, and the world’s largest Ironkids have helped to bring new people to Bolton.

“These figures are for 2015 and we know since then, there will have been even more visitors due to further investment in the town centre.”

Cllr Morris said Moorgarth’s investment in the Market Place has brought an “entirely new offer” to the heart of Bolton, with The Vaults, new shops and a new cinema.

The growth is also attributed to popular attractions such as Bolton Museum Aquarium and Archive, the Octagon Theatre, Smithills Hall and Hall i' th' Wood.

He added: “We recognise that there is still work to be done, and things like the £48 million Interchange and continuing the success of our events will be key to attracting more people to the town in future years.”

2015 saw around 200,000 people flock to the town centre for the 10th anniversary edition of the Bolton Food and Drink Festival, with star names such as John Torode and James Martin bringing in the crowds.

That record number was smashed once again last year, when more than 263,000 food lovers descended on Bolton to sample delicacies from 180 traders.

More than 2,500 athletes from across the globe took part in 2015's Ironman race, with the incredible challenge described by race bosses as the biggest in the UK to date.

Thousands of young athletes also joined in with the Ironkids race, as huge numbers of spectators provided Bolton's hotels, shops, restaurants and cafes with a bumper boost to their sales.

The new statistics have been compiled using the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM), which compiles data from a range of sources including hotel occupancy rates, surveys, and visitor figures.

Dieter Koch, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Higher Bridge Street, said: "The Ironman event is definitely a big driver of revenue for us.

"It has always been a very strong weekend for us from the beginning, but since they introduced the Ironkids race as well it has meant that more of the competitors come with their families.

"Last year was a very successful one for us and we are looking forward to big events like Ironman again in 2017."

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Steve Simms, who runs the Great Ale bars in The Vaults and Bolton Market, said: "The Vaults has done really well since it opened, people have really taken to it and it is getting bigger and better.

"As more new things open in the town centre the tourism industry will continue to grow and grow.

"Since we have been at The Vaults since last March, the footfall has just kept improving so I can only imagine that Bolton is now thriving even more than it was when these figures were recorded."