TOURISTS are bringing in more money to Bury by staying longer in local hotels and guesthouses.

While the overall number of visitors is down, the number of people staying overnight and longer is up by a third, and so is the amount of cash they spend.

Figures from the region's annual STEAM report show that visitors spent £83.5 million in the borough in 2002, an increase of £3 million on the previous year, supporting 1,700 jobs.

The number of tourist days spent in local accommodation rose to 162,000 from 121,000 -- up 33 per cent -- for hotel and b'n'b accommodation, and from 13,000 to 16,000 (up 26 per cent) in self-catering houses. The money they paid rose from £11.46 million to £15.28 million, reflected in a nine per cent increase in jobs in the sector.

On the downside, the number of day visitors numbers -- to attractions such as Bury Market or the Art Gallery -- fell from 4,464,000 to 4,289,000. Council bosses are unsure precisely what caused this drop, but say a contributory factor might have been the lengthy closure of part of the East Lancs Railway for bridge repairs.

The council says that visitors staying longer is partly down to the Commonwealth Games effect and also to the appointment of Jill Youlton as tourism business development officer, a post partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Adrian Frost, the council's partnerships and investment manager, said: "The number of tourists staying in hotels and guesthouses and their spend is well up, and for a period much longer than the Games. We are down on day visitors but the overall trend in spend and jobs is upwards."

He said the council was working with hotels and b'n'bs to promote on-line booking and short-break packages. Bury business also appears on the website www.destinationmanchester.com

The STEAM report is compiled by taking weekly and monthly samples in towns across the region.