A PACKED festival calendar, an array of historic sights and being a stone's throw from some of Cornwall's best beaches are some of the reasons why more people are flocking to Camborne and Redruth.
New figures released in a tourism summary published by Visit Cornwall indicate that Camborne and Redruth together attract 116,000 staying visitors each year who directly pump £51.8 million annually into the local economy.
Head of Visit Cornwall Malcolm Bell, who grew up in Redruth, was delighted with the findings of the recent report.
He said: "Forty per cent of Cornwall's visitors come every year and each year try to find new places to visit.
"The standard first holiday to Cornwall usually includes trips to the likes of the Eden Project, Padstow and St Ives.
"With each holiday visitors look to explore new places and when they visit Camborne and Redruth on trips three or four, they find places that are full of Cornish character. These places are real working towns and communities that haven't changed with the influx of tourism and the area is well-known as being the centre of mining history in the region. These market towns attract visitors for what they are and with so much on offer in the area, they will keep on doing so for years to come."
Mayor of Redruth William Tremayne believes the towns are hotbeds of Cornish culture.
"There are lots of festivals that take place in the area and one of the sights that grab you as you come down the A30 is the iconic structure at Carn Brea," he said. "The area has spectacular scenery and visitors don't just want a beach holiday, but saying that, in Redruth you are never more than three miles from the sea."
Mr Tremayne's beliefs are proved by the fact that each year 897,000 holiday makers take day trips into Camborne and Redruth.
The attraction of the area also extends to overseas guests with 10,700 people living outside the UK making their way into the towns each year to spend a staggering £3.6 million.
Mayor of Camborne Colin Godolphin said the towns provided an ideal base for visitors looking to explore the rest of West Cornwall.
He said: "Accommodation is cheaper here but you are still within a short drive of Portreath and Porthtowan beaches, as well as the likes of St Ives and Falmouth.
"Both towns have attracted lots of new businesses into the area."
See pages 12 and 13 for a special report on tourism
