CHORLEY cakes and smiles all round were the order of the day in a bid to put the town on the map.

The council's tourist bosses were on show last Saturday as the North West Tourist Board held its annual Great Days Out Fair at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

The fair was aimed particularly at group travel organisers and the council was keen to point out the many attractions the town has to offer from the famous Flat Iron Market to the historic Astley Hall.

In January, the council staged a display at the massive Holiday Show at Manchester's G-Mex Centre which succeeded in raising Chorley's profile as more than 80,000 visitors poured into the venue.

Councillor Jack Wilson, leader of Chorley Borough Council, said: "Our tourism unit attended the fair last Saturday in partnership with Camelot.

"We were there to represent all the attractions in the borough, handing out leaflets and providing information and assistance to any groups who wish to find out more about Chorley and want to come along for a visit."

He added: "Judging by the success of the G-Mex show last January, events like this certainly raise the profile of Chorley and we believe will encourage more people than ever to come along and see for themselves just what the town has to offer."

Alison Barker, the council's economic development and tourism manager, who attended the fair, said: "Groups such as the Women's Institute and the Ramblers are always on the lookout for places to visit, so we are very keen to promote Chorley as an excellent tourist spot.

"And, to entice them even more, we handed out hundreds of Chorley cakes to everyone who wandered past our stand. You can't get a better promotion for Chorley than that!"

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