THE second annual Residents Festival finished in triumph with more than four thousand free tickets being snapped up, some within hours of being available.

The region-wide festival, which is supported by all the councils of Cheshire and Warrington, also had even more attractions taking part this year.

During the week-long festival organised by Marketing Cheshire, residents were able to enjoy top attractions in Cheshire and Warrington for free and 4086 tickets were redeemed. The festival is a thank you to residents for welcoming growing numbers of tourists into the county and was arranged to coincide with English Tourism Week.

Three allocations of tickets were made available in February and March and residents were able to download free vouchers and tickets to leading attractions in Cheshire and Warrington by logging on to an easy-to-use website. Ranging from spectacular stately homes and gardens to museums and historic theatres, attractions threw their doors open to residents between 17 March – 25 March. Latest figures show visitor numbers rose 7.7% in 2016, with in excess of 62 million tourists visiting the Cheshire and Warrington area.

Katrina Michel, chief executive of Marketing Cheshire, said: “The festival has been a tremendous success and we’ve had some great feedback from residents and attractions across the region. These visits are a wonderful win-win situation for everyone – driving interest from new and existing customers and goodwill all around.”

Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, said: “It is great to remind ourselves what a glittering array of tourist attractions is on our doorstep in Cheshire and Warrington.

"Tourism makes a very important contribution to the regional economy and I am delighted that so many attractions have come together to support this successful and imaginative initiative. I hope that this is a building block for more integrated campaigns of this sort."

Graham Boxer, Canal & River Trust’s Head of Museums, said: “Waterways are a key feature of our region and it was a pleasure to welcome locals to the Museum during the festival and see them connecting the history of the museum with the waterways they see around them every day. I’m glad visitors have had such fun using our interactive displays, visiting the museum, enjoying the exhibits and taking boat trips. We hope to welcome many of them back to events during the year.”

VisitEngland England director, Andrew Stokes, said: “English Tourism Week is about celebrating the value and quality of tourism in England, and for Cheshire that includes the diverse range of attractions and its wonderful heritage.

"The welcoming attitude of locals plays a huge part in visitor experience, and the Residents’ Festival is a wonderful way to engage with locals, by encouraging them to be tourists in their own city and think of themselves as ambassadors for Cheshire.”