Christmas markets set to break records

MANCHESTER’S Christmas markets are expected to have broken visitor records this year.

Council chiefs believe more than 1.6 million people will have visited the popular attraction, which  ended yesterday.

Hope are high that despite the bad weather of the last few days, which will have affected footfall into the city, that the markets will have boosted trade in the city by more than £42m.

The markets were establiished 11 years ago to bring a cosmopolitan European feeling to Manchester.

This year there were a record 400 stalls across six central locations – the largest being in Albert Square near the Town Hall.

Traders from across Europe flock to Manchester with the German sausage and gluhwein stalls and Dutch flower sellers in particular doing a roaring trade.

The markets and other attractions such as the ice rink in the Spinningfields district were supported by a major marketing and advertising campaign.

The initiative by CityCo cost £600,000 and included prime-time television adverts.