Halifax - One of UK's best places to get away from it all

VisitEngland recently revealed short breaks are more popular than ever and a survey of the best places to go by online hotspot aggregator LateRooms.com puts Halifax firmly in the top ten of destinations.LateRooms.com places the town eighth in a list otherwise including major cities Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh and well-known tourist hotspot Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Quality and cost of accommodation, ease of travel and attractions from foodie credentials to shopping scenes and cultural attractions were taken into account using the website’s data.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, Coun Susan Press, said: “Tourism in Calderdale is a rapidly growing industry and I’m delighted, but not surprised, that Halifax has been named among high profile visitor destinations such as Edinburgh and Stratford-Upon-Avon in the top 10 best places to visit on a spontaneous getaway.

With great rail links and being just off the motorway, it’s easy to get to Halifax and the rest of Calderdale, making it a great location for an impromptu break.

“We held our annual Calderdale Tourism Conference this week, where more than 100 tourism delegates from the locality and across the region heard about Calderdale as a developing tourism destination, what makes us locally distinct and how the destination stands out from the crowd.”

Nicky Chance Thompson, Piece Hall Trust chief executive, said: “It’s wonderful to see Halifax on this list being at the centre of Yorkshire, and Britain, as it was for so many years at the heart of the wool trade.

“Since we opened on August 1 an incredible quarter of a million people have been wowed and we are ready to welcome the rest of the world. The Piece Hall has a fascinating heritage and is an architectural marvel, absolutely unique. The area works brilliantly to complement the urban offering of the hubs of Leeds and Sheffield making Yorkshire a must-see destination.”

Halifax MP Holly Lynch said: “It’s great Halifax is getting the recognition it deserves as a vibrant place to visit for a spontaneous break. Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson visited the

Piece Hall last week after hearing me praising its revamp and was hugely impressed. We absolutely should all be cheerleading for our town which has the potential to attract visitors from around the country, and indeed the world.”