CASTLE Hill’s iconic Victoria Tower is set to be a tourist hotspot this year.

Buoyed by record visitor numbers in 2010, tourism chiefs are to open up the Tower more than ever.

Longer opening hours will be boosted by openings during all the school holidays, as opposed to just weekend openings as in the past.

The decision was taken after tremendous public support of the first-ever Christmas openings at the tower, when 511 people visited over five half-days between Christmas and New Year.

Now the monument which was built to mark 60 years of Queen Victoria’s reign will open during school holidays (apart from February half-term) in addition to its usual weekend openings over spring and summer.

The hours of opening will also be extended.

The tower, which affords panoramic views from the open viewing platform at the end of a climb of 165 steps, also opened for the first time every day during last summer’s school holidays – that will be repeated this year.

The tower will be open throughout Easter, Spring Bank, October half-term and for two weeks over Christmas and New Year (apart from Christmas weekend).

Castle Hill Ranger Julian Brown said: “This is a big increase on the Easter and then weekend openings between May Bank Holiday and the end of September that operated previously.

“From the public response to the extra openings last summer and at Christmas, it is clear that people really enjoy going up the tower”.