CHESTER’S popular Welcome Ambassadors are celebrating a huge milestone after warmly welcoming 100,000 visitors to the city centre.

The popular duo, Monica Roman and Luka Jake Morrell, are fondly recognised by local businesses and many Cestrians for providing a friendly welcome, pointing out local attractions to tourists and guiding people around the city centre.

Instantly recognisable in their distinctive bowler hats and three-piece suits, the duo say their mission is to ‘make someone’s day’. Fluent in six European languages, they help both locals and the city’s international visitors and are credited with being a driving force behind the friendly, community atmosphere in Chester city centre.

Carl Critchlow, BID manager at CH1ChesterBID, the Business Improvement District for Chester City Centre which provides the Welcome Ambassadors service, said: “Welcoming 100,000 visitors to Chester is an incredible achievement and testament to Monica and Luka’s proactive approach, positive attitudes and friendly natures.

“Since the Welcome Ambassadors first arrived in Chester, they’ve become an integral part of the city centre experience, providing a personal welcome and helping to set Chester apart from other towns and cities. As a team, we’re exceptionally proud of their work and would like to thank both Luka and Monica for their dedication to Chester and their efforts to maintain the city’s high standards.”

The Welcome Ambassadors also report any challenges in the city centre, including environmental issues, cleaning that needs to be done and instances of anti-social behaviour, so that these concerns can be addressed quickly by the appropriate authorities.

Mr Critchlow added: “Moving forward, our new business plan is ambitious and will hopefully make Chester a city fit for the future; a city that meets the needs of its businesses and a city that is attractive to the modern consumer.

"Monica and Luka will remain central to this plan, so we hope to be doubling the 100,000 interaction figure at some point within our next term.”

The renewal ballot for CH1ChesterBID is taking place between June 7 and July 4, with the results announced on July 5. If its members –almost 500 city centre businesses – vote in favour, CH1ChesterBID will continue its work for another five-year term until the end of August 2024.

  • For more information about CH1ChesterBID, visit www.ch1chesterbid.co.uk.