Tourism
Shropshire has been voted 'My Favourite Place' at the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards that took place on 11th November 2008. Members of the public named Shropshire 'My Favourite Place' among all the counties and destinations in the West Midlands.
Gold Awards were awarded to The Severn Valley Railway for 'Best Tourism Experience' and the award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Tourism'. The RAF Museum at Cosford for 'Access to All.' Goldstone Hall near Market Drayton was awarded 'Best Small Hotel/Townshouse'. The Ludlow Food Centre at Bromfield near Ludlow wont the 'Taste of the Heart' for an Outlet or Attraction.
Shropshire has a thriving tourism industry which plays an important role in the county’s economy. With approaching 11 million people visiting each year, the sector generates revenues of more than £560 million annually. Visitors are attracted by the county’s historic market towns, breathtaking scenery and cultural heritage as well as the region’s only designated Unesco World Heritage Site at Ironbridge and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The county is also home to some of the region’s key tourism attractions, including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, which operates 10 museums within the World Heritage Site, Severn Valley Railway and the RAF Museum at Cosford. The more energetic visitor can take advantage of the numerous activities available, including horse riding, cycling, golf and canal boating. For those wishing to undertake more unusual pursuits, Shropshire offers opportunities in handgliding, paragliding and hot air ballooning. The county also has excellent facilities for walkers, with Church Stretton, nestled at the foot of the Long Mynd in the AONB, having recently been awarded “Walkers are Welcome” status.
More than 9 million day visitors choose Shropshire as a destination each year, with most coming from within two hours drive time. Shropshire’s central location within the country means that our target area for day visitors is wide, and includes the West Midlands, Wales and parts of the North West. 12% of visitors to Shropshire choose to stay overnight, which is the equivalent of 1.3 million people annually. Almost a third of these overnight visitors stay with family or friends, meaning that two-thirds use commercial accommodation. On average, visitors staying in Shropshire stay 4 nights. The visitor economy in the county supports a network of accommodation providers, from town centre to country house hotels, pubs and restaurants with rooms, B&Bs and guesthouse to self-catering accommodation and caravan/campsites. Together, these provide upwards of 11,000 bed spaces.
Overall, tourism directly supports over 8,000 full time equivalent jobs and more than 6% of all Shropshire-based jobs are tourism related.
For further information about tourism within Shropshire visit www.shropshiretourism.co.uk