Destination Shropshire: Tourism to help county's recovery from pandemic
Tourism can play a leading role in Shropshire's recovery from the pandemic, according to a council, with plans to pitch the county as a destination across the country.
A new marketing campaign is being planned to make sure the county can capitalise on a predicted boom in people holidaying in the UK – this summer, for autumn and winter, and into next year.
It comes as hospitality and tourism in the county has been starved of business since the first lockdown more than 12 months ago.
Shropshire Council is looking for an organisation to provide "creative content for a new marketing campaign designed to support Shropshire’s tourism sector as it recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic".
The authority says the number of people wanting to remain and holiday in the UK due to the impact of the pandemic provides an opportunity to compete with major destinations such as the Lake District.
A tender document from the council states: "The visitor economy has been heavily impacted by Covid and many businesses have been closed for long periods.
"However, the Covid situation has meant that many rural destinations which may previously have struggled to compete with city breaks and well-known brands such as The Lake District are now in heavy demand as they can deliver some of the experiences that people are seeking: clean air, unspoilt landscapes, undiscovered towns and villages, simple pleasures, absorbing stories and traditions, local food ideally with low food miles, wellbeing, outdoor animation and the social life that everyone has so missed."
Councillor Cecilia Motley, the council's cabinet member for tourism, said: “We have secured funding to invest in an exciting programme to encourage tourists to come and visit us here in Shropshire and want to best show off the array of wonderful attractions we have in the county.
“It is vital with lockdown being eased to ensure that Shropshire is ideally placed to responsibly welcome tourists back and help our businesses thrive.
“We want to make sure everybody knows what a stunning county Shropshire is with so many hidden gems and are really excited to be looking for partners with real expertise in selling the county to a wide audience between now and spring 2022.”
The council said that there is the opportunity to capitalise on some of the county's most treasured sites, including "a number of highly attractive towns such as Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Oswestry, Whitchurch and Bridgnorth, nationally significant natural assets such as the Wrekin, the Long Mynd and the River Severn, two World Heritage Sites of Ironbridge and Pontcysyllte and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".
The plan is for the campaign to be divided into three phases – a late Summer launch, Autumn and Winter breaks, including Christmas, and Spring and Summer 2022 bookings.
The council proposal said that there is concern about the level of demand – and trying to spread that out to make the most of opportunities.
The tender adds: "It is also important to manage that demand and to create a positioning that will continue to be attractive once the short-term effect of Covid has lessened.
"As a county Shropshire does not currently have enough bed stock to house overnight all those who may want to come at peak times so a key part of the campaign is to help level the demand as far as is possible and, where overnight stays are not available, to suggest new day trip destinations that previously may not have had the attention they deserve."
