LANCASTER has played host to more visitors this year than in any other on record according to statistics released by the city's tourism bosses. The 100,000th visitor of 1996 walked through the doors of the Tourist Information Centre on Castle Hill in the heart of Lancaster last Friday to be welcomed by tourist chiefs.

That established an all-time record for the 19 years during which Lancaster City Council has operated an information centre in the city.

Thanks to an accurate calculation of the figures, councillors and tourism workers were lying in wait for the 100,000th visitors on Friday afternoon. They surprised Carla Corona and Aurora Loi with a gift of some Lancaster greetings cards when the Italian students walked in unawares in search of information.

Although this is the third year in succession that the centre has had more than 100,000 people through the door, this year the target has been reached a month earlier than ever before.

Lancaster Tourism Officer Ron Sands said: "The work we do each year improves the knowledge of public image of Lancaster and we are going from strength to strength.

"There is strong evidence to suggest that people go back to their favourite places more often than they try out new places and I think Lancaster is becoming a favourite place for more people every year."

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