BT is to invest more than £500,000 in its popular visitors centre at Goonhilly Earth Station, on the Lizard Peninsula.

The investment will be used to boost the centre's position as one of the South West's leading tourist attractions - and confirms its long-term future. The new attractions and facilities should be ready for the start of the 2008 season.

Last year, BT announced the running down of the earth station leading to the eventual moving of the technical staff to Madley, Herefordshire with the loss of a number of jobs. But the future of the successful visitor centre remained in the balance.

Jon Henney, marketing manager of BT's Goonhilly Visitors Centre, which attracts more than 80,000 people a year, said: "This is excellent news. It confirms the long-term future of Goonhilly as a major tourist attraction and as an important centre for community-based projects, such as free visits by local schools.

"The investment will enhance the visitor experience at Goonhilly and ensure that it continues to be one of the great must see' attractions of Cornwall and the South West as a whole.

"We will start work immediately on developing a new strategy for the Goonhilly Visitors Centre, which will see new facilities, displays and exhibits being introduced for the start of the 2008 season. We have a very bright future ahead and we are all looking forward to developing the customer experience along exciting new themes."

Details of the new attractions have yet to be agreed, but it is intended that they will follow the themes of science and technology, the environment, communications and space.

There had been a question mark over the future of the Goonhilly Visitors Centre when BT recently announced that satellite communications on the site would be transferred to Madley in Herefordshire by the end of November this year. BT said at the time that it would carry out a review of the future of the Visitors Centre "with a view to it hopefully continuing."

That review has resulted in plans for a major investment in new attractions and facilities. About 20 people work at the visitors centre throughout the year, rising to 50 during the busiest summer months. Current attractions include the world's fastest internet café', the Connected Earth web-based museum of communications, a Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence' display and film show, an interactive exhibition area, an X-Box play zone, a café and shops.