Heritage is past its "sell-by date" and Winchester needs a Jorvik-style centre to woo the tourists.
Plans for a themed centre, like that in York, were unveiled in the North Hants Chamber of Commerce's Vision for Winchester statement on Tuesday.
Chief executive, Barbara Bryant, said: "At present, visitors tend to regard Winchester as a relatively short stay.
"They are also looking for more than heritage. Winchester needs to be aware of that. It has heritage par excellence, but it needs to develop something."
Simon Barwood, for Winchester Cathedral, agreed the city was a "one-stop wonder" for many. "It is for a weekend, rather than a week. Tourists might stay a few days, then go on Salisbury or Stonehenge.
"But I don't think it would take people from the cathedral. They tend to go there anyway. It's one of the things to see."
The proposal was part of an overall plan geared to making the city more accessible for visitors and better for business.
The statement also made a strong case for a hotel, rather than homes, in the Friarsgate area. In a similar vein, it calls for a business park, not housing, on the controversial Barton Farm site, just outside Winchester.
Mrs Bryant cited a pressing need for a business park and said they were not afraid of suggestions that were unpopular with residents.
"You can't have a local economy which is contracting. If business doesn't say what it thinks the economy needs, nobody else will."
The Chamber of Commerce believes the majority of people who live in the city are not there during the day and it is the business occupiers and their staff who make Winchester a vibrant and lively place.
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