Plenty to attract Olympic visitors to district (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Plenty to attract Olympic visitors to district

12:30pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Bradford By Anika Bourley

MPs are urging people to visit Bradford’s cultural delights and places of interest this year as hundreds of thousands of people descend on Britain for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Saltaire World Heritage Site, Bradford Industrial Museum and National Media Museum, Odsal Stadium and Keighley & Worth Valley Railway have been put forward by the district’s politicians after VisitBritain asked MPs across the country to choose an attraction in their constituency that overseas tourists should visit.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said: “As a world heritage site, everybody in the district will know that Saltaire is the jewel in the crown for tourism in the local district and I would urge all visitors both within and from outside the UK to visit it.”

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins said: “The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway will be my nomination. A social enterprise staffed all year round by volunteers, it is unquestionably one of the finest heritage railways in the world.

“It is best known for its role in the 1970 film version of The Railway Children but has also appeared in a huge number of other productions on both the big and small screen, and is currently providing the backdrop for a remake of The Ghost Train.

“The arrival of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will hopefully provide a significant boost to the numbers of tourists wishing to experience its route.”

All the nominations will be added to an interactive tourism map that will be unveiled at a parliamentary reception next month and is aimed at boosting local tourism with the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Government has announced it would bolster VisitBritain’s efforts to entice greater numbers of overseas visitors by allocating £25 million for the national tourism agency to undertake the largest image campaign in its history.

Bradford East MP David Ward said the district had many great places to offer, including Valley Parade, and the National Media Museum, but has chosen the Industrial Museum in his constituency for nomination.

He said: “People come from far and wide to see this, especially the Victorian classroom. We have so much in our district to be proud of.”

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe has nominated the Osdal Stadium which is in his constituency.

He said: “The Bradford district has a unique offering for visitors to the UK; with our Victorian architectural heritage, award-winning parks and museums and some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere in the UK.

“We have the historically important villages of Saltaire and Haworth, not to mention the best curry found anywhere in the UK.

“But my nomination from my own constituency is the historic Odsal Stadium, a truly iconic site for rugby. The home of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934, the lease was recently purchased by the Rugby Football League to guarantee Rugby League’s presence on the site for the foreseeable future.

“It has hosted many other sports over the years, most notably speedway – it hosted the last World Speedway finals held in Britain in 1990 – stock car racing, football and even a performance by the world-famous basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters.

“However, it is best known as one of Rugby League’s great venues. Probably it’s most famous match was in 1954 when it hosted the replay of the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final between Warrington and Halifax. 102,569 people packed into the stadium, which remains one of the biggest attendances at any UK sporting event.”

Announcing the campaign, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “This year really is the time to come to Britain. The Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee each offer fantastic experiences, but there is so much else going on.”