Tourism body and train company get on track promoting Shropshire as a major tourism destination
Tourism organisation Visit Shropshire and the rail operator West Midlands Railway have announced a new partnership to encourage visitors to begin their adventures in the county by train.
They say the collaboration comes at a time where people are beginning to regain confidence and get out and about again – enjoying all that their local areas and beyond have to offer.
And, with large events such as the Commonwealth Games coming to the West Midlands this summer – there’s no better time to get out there and explore the West Midlands, promoting Shropshire as a leading UK destination.
WMR and Visit Shropshire will be working closely together promoting Shropshire as a to ensure those in the local area, as well as visitors, are able to get the most from the county spending less time in the car and using the rail network to get to their destination.
Laura Donnelly, head of marketing at West Midlands Railway, said: “Joining forces with Visit Shropshire is something we have wanted to do for a long time.
"We recognise the value of tourism, and by working in partnership we hope to support the businesses of the county to recover, grow and thrive into the future.
“Shropshire is such a beautiful part of the West Midlands, and we want to help raise awareness of all it has to offer – from its rich and diverse heritage, arts festivals, and cultural activities, along with a vast amount of retail opportunities too.
"We also want to highlight that our network is always there to help people get there with ease, and for less.
Mark Hooper, project lead at Visit Shropshire, said: “We are extremely pleased to begin Visit Shropshire’s first ever strategic transport partnership with West Midlands Railway. 2021 saw Shropshire have the second highest increase in occupancy levels compared to 2019 in England with a 211 per cent increase, with numbers expected to continue to rise during 2022.
“We are keen to promote travelling to and around our county via other means of transport in contrast to the car. Shropshire has a well-connected rail network with a large proportion of our visitors arriving via West Midlands Railway trains. As well as Shropshire’s brilliant list of attractions, we will also be playing host to a number of large events this year including music festival ‘Bestival’ and the ever-popular Shrewsbury Food Festival. We can’t wait to promote using West Midlands Railway as a method of discovering our beautiful county.”
To kick off the collaboration, the rail operator and the tourism website will be launching a variety of projects, such as a social competition on Instagram. Followers will be given the chance to win an activity bundle.
