STARS of music and TV could could help Bolton to build on record-breaking visitor rates, according to tourism chiefs.

Head of tourism Geoff Bennette said well-known faces including Radio One's Sara Cox and singer-songwriter Damon Gough attracted a young fanbase.

And he hoped by pushing the town as the home of such talent, he could encourage those fans to journey to Bolton.

Mr Bennette said steeplejack Fred Dibnah had long been instrumental in raising awareness of the town.

But he added: "I think we should now move away from projecting an image of cobbled streets. It may be the one favoured by some television directors but visitors are nearly always astonished by the reality.

"Bolton is a modern town which has moved with the times."

Personalities such as Sara Cox, Radio One DJ Mark Radcliffe, Royle Family star Andrew Whyment, comedian Peter Kay and singer Damon Gough- aka Badly Drawn Boy -- often speak of their love for the town.

So much so, Mr Bennette said, that they could prove to have just as much pulling power as some of the main attractions.

As reported in the BEN last night, the number of visitors staying in Bolton hotels and guest houses in 2000 passed the one million mark.

It made Bolton the second most popular area of Greater Manchester after Manchester itself.

Shopping was top of the list for visitors but attractions such as the museum and art gallery also pulled in tens of thousands of people.

The museum's dinosaur-themed Jurassic event last year attracted 25,313 people over its 13-week run.

And another success for Bolton was the recent Tutankhamun exhibition at the Reebok Stadium which was visited by an estimated 60,000 people.

Mr Bennette said the town's stars, special events and traditional attractions made a unique blend for Bolton to build on.

He said: "There is a good, wide-ranging mix of attractions in the town. Traditional places like Smithills Hall are visited by tens of thousands of people each year and areas like Middlebrook are visited by close to a million people from across the region.

"We expect even more people next year with the Commonwealth Games and the Queen's Jubilee to celebrate."

Visitors from Germany, France, Holland, Canada and Australia were among the hordes pouring into the town, Mr Bennette said.

Many also came from Israel and the Ukraine.

Mr Bennette said: "People from across the world log onto our website and request brochures.

"We often get appreciative comments about the Market Hall and Le Mans Crescent from people surprised at how far removed the town is from their perceptions."

Bolton has a series of town centre ambassadors who meet and greet shoppers.

Rob Dyson, who sits on the ambassadors' management team, said: "Bolton is a very varied town which appears to be attractive to a wide range of people. I'm not all that surprised that more than a million visitors chose to stay here last year."

Tourists spent an estimated £40 million last year. Visitors on short breaks, coach groups and conference delegates made up the bulk of visitors.

The million milestone represented an increase of around 400 per cent on an estimated 250,000 staying visitors in 1984.

Karen Wheeldon, town centre manager, said: "The more visitors we can attract, the better it is for Bolton.

"What we are finding are that people's perception of the town after they have been here are more than favourable.

"Many of them say they will return. There are obvious strengths to the town. It has a good variety of shops and it's close to the West Pennine Moors.

"For business travellers, one advantage is the proximity to Manchester.

"The main thing is attracting people to the town and encouraging them to use the facilities we have to offer."