Walking Festival attracts new visitors to county

Herefordshire Council's Walking Festival attracted more new walkers this year than ever before, providing a boost to the county's reputation as a tourist destination.

Out of the 235 responses received from a questionnaire given out to festival goers, some 92 said it was their first time at the festival and they were intending to return.

Jane Lewis, Herefordshire Council's cultural services manager, said: "With the credit crunch more and more people are choosing to spend their holidays in Britain and the fact we attracted so many new people to our walking festival shows Herefordshire is really capturing the public's imagination as a place to visit and stay.

"Ticket sales show the longer distance walks are always popular, especially with people from out of the county, so next year we are going to stage two long distance walks instead of just one.

"One will be the Mortimer Trail which will be walked from end to end over three days complemented by a series of loop walks over nine days and the other is the southern section of the Herefordshire Trail which will be held over five days.

"Both of these walks offer a chance to see the best of Herefordshire's countryside and I'm sure they will be popular and help boost the county's economy by encouraging walkers to stay in the county longer," she added.

Next year's walking festival, sponsored for the last few years by M&M Direct of Leominster, will run from June 13 to June 21 and features a total of 60 walks throughout the county.

The final programme is still in the planning stage but will offer a series of new walks together with old favourites.