Shropshire braced for £8 million Olympic bonus

Shropshire will reap a £7.8 million Olympics windfall as tourists flock to the area because of its links to the games, officials say – with an extra 68,000 people expected to stay in the county.

Many of these visitors will be heading to Much Wenlock, the inspiration for the modern games.

Meanwhile an extra 128,000 day trippers will also flock to the county during 2012 to soak up its links to the London games, claim tourism experts.

The visitors will generate nearly £8 million of extra spending – helping the county's shops and businesses ride out the economic downturn.

The main draw for tourists is expected to be Much Wenlock, where Doctor William Penny Brookes founded the Wenlock Olympian Games in 1850 and inspired the revival of the modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for active and healthy lifestyles, revealed the figures and said the county had to be ready to welcome the extra visitors.

"We are expecting the link to be worth £7.8 million to the county over a 12-month period covering the games.

"People have got to be prepared for these visitors, both the short-term ones when the torch comes here and those in the longer-term wanting to visit Shropshire and Much Wenlock to see what the history is all about."

The Olympic torch will pass through 14 Shropshire towns and villages on its way to London for the opening ceremony.