Lancaster to benefit from £1m fund to pull in US visitors

Lancaster is among a number English cities to benefit from a £1m investment to encourage more US visitors to explore the regions outside London.

The cash is from the Discover England Fund and has gone to England’s Historic City’s consortium, which includes Lancaster.

Marking the first time that the cities have collaborated in this way, The Collection is one of a number of successful projects to receive funding from the UK Government’s £40m Discover England Fund.

The Collection aims to bring history to life through story-telling enhanced by augmented reality and will feature itineraries that link the cities by rail, making it easy to plan and book a multi-destination trip.

Delivered through the historic cities app, it will act as a central point for local information that highlights places to eat and stay alongside trips, tours and travel options.

Cllr Darren Clifford, cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism at Lancaster City Council said: “Heritage is a huge draw for US visitors to England. The Collection will enable Lancaster to share our amazing stories through cutting edge technology, and bring the city wider exposure to this important international market.”

The project is being managed by a board chaired by consortium member Ruth Connor, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire.

She said: “We are thrilled to have secured investment from the Discover England Fund. England’s Historic Cities represents some of the best experiences that England has to offer to international visitors and we can’t wait to bring them to the attention of the US market.”

“The consortium has a strong track record of working together but this is the most ambitious project we have tackled together. We are grateful for the support of our partners and look forward to showing the results of our work.”