Tourism boost for town thanks to Shropshire Council grant support

A national advertising campaign urging tourists to visit a Shropshire town has been made thanks to funding from Shropshire Council.

Oswestry Borderland Tourism was successful in applying for a Wider Economic Recovery Fund grant  from Shropshire Council – allowing them to develop a scheme which would benefit the wider community as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

And the not-for-profit company decided to use the money in a bid to attract tourists from far and wise to visit the market town.

Lee Lucks, chairman of the group, said it had managed to develop a video being shared nationwide selling the town to potential visitors, offer free membership and launch an ambassadors scheme.

Lee said:

“Our Mission Statement is to grow footfall and spend, benefitting the local tourism and hospitality sectors and other community stakeholders, by raising awareness of Oswestry and the Borderlands as the ideal destination.

“Our project is to help businesses who have an interest in the visitor economy to grow again after the pandemic.

“Thanks to the grant from Shropshire Council OBT has been able to offer six months free membership to new and existing members with the grant aid.

“OBT has created a new video of Oswestry and The Borderlands which showcases the area as a staycation destination. This is now being promoted nationwide.

“The grant has enabled us to also commission more video and still imagery which will be available to all our member businesses, press and groups such as Oswestry BID and Visit Shropshire to help promote our area.

“The grant has also funded the creation of the first Oswestry Borderland Tourism Ambassador scheme. The aim is to encourage member businesses, their staff and other people interested in Oswestry’s heritage and history to sign up and become an Oswestry Borderland Ambassador.

“It is an online modular scheme which is fun and free and will, we hope, improve customer satisfaction for visitors to Oswestry.”

Lee said the free membership will be offered up to 31 August so members will be able to take advantage up to February 2022.

The video and image photography will be completed by 31 March next year, but the benefits will be ongoing.

The Ambassador scheme will launch early 2022 but will be ongoing and will grow as more modules are added and more people gain silver of gold status.