Christmas in Manchester hailed a triumph

Manchester has long enjoyed a great reputation for its wonderful Christmas line-up – and deservedly so as 2011 proves to be the most successful year yet.

·        Overall economic impact on the city worth £74.3 million

·        A growth of 43% compared to 2009

·        1.5 million visitors to the Christmas Markets

Manchester has long enjoyed a great reputation for its wonderful Christmas line-up - and deservedly so as 2011 proves to be the most successful year yet.

The light switch-on has become the official start of Christmas in Manchester and this year continued the resounding success of past years attracting more than 20,000 people in to the city centre to watch pop stars Tinchy Stryder and Nicola Roberts flick the switch on the 90,000 low energy lights that sparkled through the streets.

The Christmas Markets began in 1999 with the German Christmas Market from Frankfurt in St Ann 's Square. Since the initial popularity this lone market has expanded to eight sites with more than 300 stalls, representing 24 countries from across Europe.

Visitors from around the world flooded the markets throughout December attracting an estimated 1.5 million people during its five week residency, breaking what seemed to be an insurmountable record from 2010.

Though the markets proved to be record breaking from the first weekend attracting, more than 75,000 people to Albert Square alone on the first Saturday of trading - more than any other day of trading the market has ever seen - with stall holders reporting thriving trading throughout their stay.

Historical research has shown that the Christmas Markets employs 1,206 people over the trading period. The majority of these jobs are year-long positions; however, 486 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs were additional employment due to trading at the Christmas Markets, with more than half the positions filled by people from Manchester.

Festivities, as always, spread across the city and enjoyed the same level of popularity that has come to be expected at the Christmas Markets.

A new recruit this year to the Piccadilly Gardens line-up was the Giant Advent Calendar that instantly captured the imagination of visitors to the city centre with daily shopping deals, festive messages and competitions - including the grand prize, a £1,000 shopping spree around the Arndale.

The new advent calendar coupled with the return of Family Fair, Kro's pop-up bar and another new attraction - the live music stage - Piccadilly Gardens enjoyed an incredible 70,000 visitors through December and the New Year.

Spinningfields's Hardman Square welcomed back the ever popular ice rink accompanied with the new and improved moose bar for those who prefer the warm relaxation of the indoors, rather than the icy rush of the rink.

Organised through the Spinningfields Management Company the ice rink compliments the city's Christmas events ideally and they have been glad to report that 42,000 people enjoyed the facilities on Hardman Square throughout the Christmas period.

The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) reported that footfall in Manchester city centre was greater than the national average as a result in part to the popularity of the city's Christmas events.

Metrolink have also said that ticket sales rose by 15% between 17 November and 31 December compared to the same period in 2010.

Indeed footfall counters in some of Manchester's key shopping streets, including: King Street, Market Street, New Cathedral Street and Exchange Square (incidentally the bulk of which housed a Christmas Market site), found year on year increases of over 30% in the weeks prior to Christmas - and the average spent per shopper has also seen an increase on previous years.

Anecdotally, retailers have also said that trade has appeared healthier than the national picture; especially store holders on King Street who reported increased trade with the arrival of the Christmas Markets, typifying the complimentary relationship between the markets and the high street.

Residents and visitors agreed that Manchester 's Christmas offer was either excellent or good (83% of people asked) and nine out of ten people were either satisfied or very satisfied with Manchester 's Christmas experience.

Overwhelming figures like these illustrate perfectly the on-going admiration for Manchester 's Christmas schedule - and as the vast majority of market traders have already booked their stalls for next year, it seems the success will continue next year and well in to the future. 

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester 's Christmas spokesperson, said: "This report confirms Manchester 's position as the number one Christmas destination in the UK . Our enviable schedule of events has long attracted visitors from far and wide and it's clear that they continue to grow and get better year on year.

"High streets up and down the country have struggled through a year of economic difficulty, which is why in Manchester we work so hard to keep the city centre an exciting destination - keeping the streets bustling and the shops busy."