WILTSHIRE towns along the 125-mile route of the new Great West Way today (Thurs, Nov 22) welcomed the £1.25 million tourism initiative.

Tourism Minister, Michael Ellis, spent an hour in Lacock to launch the touring route which aims to attract 1.5 million new visitors to the region over 10 years.

Historic towns such as Bradford on Avon, Corsham, Calne and Marlborough have signed up to become Great West Way ambassadors and will be marketing the route to their visitors.

Sharon Thomas, of Corsham Town Council, said: “We’re really excited about the Great West Way and we’re hoping that it will put us on the map.”

Shelley Parker, of Marlborough Town Council, said: “We’ve been involved with the initiative right from the start and will be working with businesses at a local level to make it attractive to visitors.”

David Dillamore, of Calne Our Place, said: “We’re hoping to get much more footfall and increase the economic benefits to the retail trade and the heritage sector.”

The Minister made a flying visit to the National Trust’s historic Lacock Abbey as he journeyed along the Great West Way, which follows the route of the A4 from London to Bristol.

Mr Ellis, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said: “I am just blown away by Lacock and thrilled to be treading the path of the Great West Way - the UK’s first touring route of its kind.

“We just want to encourage more people who come to this country to venture out of London and see what the Great West Way has to offer.

“We want to make the most out of this opportunity to deliver a significant boost to domestic and inbound tourism and the local economies along the way.”

Travelling from the route’s London gateway at Paddington railway station, the Minister visited some of the iconic locations along the route.

They included Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey); Avebury, Europe’s largest stone circle; Lacock, the National Trust village that is one of the most filmed in the country; and the Roman Baths in Bath, home to the UK’s only natural hot springs.

Peter Wragg, chairman of VisitWiltshire, said they had secured £1.25 million from the UK Government’s Discover England Fund to boost inbound tourism.

The route is being marketed primarily to international visitors from Germany, the USA and the Netherlands and will aim to encourage them to travel to the region, to stay longer and to delve deeper.

The county’s historic towns now plan to deliver personalised visitor experiences to promote the Great West Way’s destinations, accommodation, attractions and transport options in their local areas.

David Andrews, VisitWiltshire’s chief executive officer and the Great West Way director, said: “The Great West Way will boost international and domestic visitor growth and spread the economic benefits of tourism across the region.”

Mr Ellis also visited Bristol Airport, the key gateway for the western end of the route, to unveil new imagery of the Great West Way.

The artwork, which will greet inbound visitors, depicts four ways that the multi-modal route can be explored – on foot, bike, train and canal boat – and bears the message: Curious Travellers Start Here.

The official networking launch event took place at The Roman Baths on Thursday evening, where 52 suppliers, including attractions, hotels and tour providers, met 44 international travel trade buyers, including tour operators and wholesalers, to create bookable packages and itineraries.