TOURISM bosses have been spreading the word in Germany about why Bolton makes a great destination for a getaway.

For the first time Bolton Council's Tourism Unit promoted the town at this year's Liborifest cultural festival which attracts 1.5million visitors each year to Paderborn, one of Bolton's twin towns.

The trip follows a warm welcome for English football fans in German towns and cities during the World Cup.

Tourism chiefs from Bolton gave visitors to Paderborn's Liborifest a glimpse of Bolton's own "enviable reputation as a friendly and hospitable town".

Tourism representatives also promoted the www.visitbolton.com website which can now be translated into German at the touch of a button.

In addition to Bolton's friendly people tourism chiefs say the German population were particularly interested in football, with both Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Manchester United topping the popularity league, and the area's beautiful countryside.

Paderborn's Liborifest is the ultimate cultural experience a colourful mixture of concerts, exhibitions, shows and processions. It takes place annually in the last week of July in honour of St Liborius, Paderborn's patron saint.

This latest tourism initiative was run in partnership with Bolton Twinning Association, Air Berlin, which flies directly between Manchester and Paderborn, and Marketing Manchester, the tourist board for Greater Manchester. The tourism unit also ran a competition during the festival to give away three free weekend breaks in the Bolton area. Winners will stay at the De Vere Whites Hotel, Marriott Worsley Park and Novotel Manchester West.

The competition will allow the tourism unit to gather e-mail addresses and continue promoting Bolton long after the Liborifest has finished to let residents of Paderborn know what's on in Bolton.