SALISBURY'S Christmas market opens today, with more than 100 chalets and 120 exhibitors in the Guildhall Square.

Rated as one of the top five Christmas markets in the UK by the Daily Telegraph last year, 131,000 people visited the event spending £4.6 million in the city's shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and other businesses.

And organisers of the event believe the visitor numbers will be even higher this year as word spreads of its success and its growing size.

The event is open from now until December 20.

Steve Godwin from the city's Business Improvement District, the group which now manages the market, said: “The event was started by Salisbury City Centre Management (CCM) in 2012 in order to attract people to Salisbury who had not been before or who had not visited for a long time.

“In the first year around 12 per cent of visitors to the market had not been to the city before and last year, this figure increased to 16 percent.

We are continuing to work with VisitWiltshire on a campaign to target people outside the county and expect this year to be the biggest and best yet. There are over 100 coaches that will be bringing people in from outside.”

This year also involves a special programme celebrating Christmas traditions from across Europe and will see a number of events such as Scottish music, dancing and whisky tastings to mark St Andrews's Day on Sunday and Swedish festive food, drink and songs to celebrate the Swedish Festival of Light.

Organiser Stephanie Swann said: “The Christmas market is a visual delight with chalets decorated in twinkly lights and swags.

“We have a new bandstand this year from which choirs, music groups and schools will be serenading shoppers with carols and festive music. There will also be storytelling and events for children.

“One of the highlights of the market is the large number of British artists, craftspeople, designers, makers and small artisan businesses that will be taking part, and many others bring more unique products from Europe.”

The market opens at 10am this morning and tonight there will be a lantern procession from the cathedral to the market square