TOURISM in the county is on the up with around 63million people visiting the area last year.

Marketing Lancashire said an extra one million people came to the county, while revenue generated by visitors also jumped by 4.4 per cent to £3.5billion.

Among the events attracting visitors was the 400th anniversary of the Lancashire Witch Trials, Clitheroe Food Festival and Brockholes Nature Reserve, in Samlesbury.

The tourism industry supports 56,137 full-time jobs in Lancashire, a rise of 2.4 per cent on the previous year.

In Blackburn with Darwen, 3.9million people visited the borough, an increase of 7.2 per cent with 2,195 full-time jobs being supported by the tourism industry, up by 7.7 per cent.

Some 1.8million people visited Hyndburn last year, an increase of 1.2 per cent, with 1,018 full-time jobs, up by 2.8 per cent. Burnley saw 2.4million visitors, up 1.5 per cent, and 1,426 full-time jobs, up by 3.8 per cent.

Pendle saw a one per cent rise to 2.5million while Rossendale had 1.2million visitors, up by 1.4 per cent.

In the Ribble Valley, visitor numbers rose 1.6 per cent to 3.6million.

Ruth Connor, Marketing Lancashire chief executive, said: “With a push to raise the profile of the county and increased pride in our heritage and unique ‘Lancastrian’ assets, we can make Lancashire the north west destination of choice.”