The vital and growing importance of tourism to Shropshire’s economy is highlighted in a new report.

It reveals that in 2005, it was estimated that visitors were spending £561 million a year in the Shropshire Council area, and £104 million in Telford & Wrekin.

This supported a total of 15,691 jobs across the county, of which 3,629 were in the Telford & Wrekin area.

“Since 2005, the sector has grown with significant development of both the leisure and business tourism sectors,” says the report to the Shropshire Council cabinet next Wednesday.

“Planned further developments will reinforce tourism’s importance as a wealth and job creator in the future.

“To maximise that potential, and to mitigate the impact of economic changes, it is imperative that the structures that support the sector are fit for purpose.”

The cabinet is being asked to approve an overhaul of the structures that help support the visitor economy.

Plans include replacing the current Shropshire and Telford Destination Management Partnership which promotes the county as a tourism destination, with a smaller, more strategic board.

It would be supported by four local destination development partnerships.

These would cover Oswestry and North Shropshire; Shrewsbury; Shropshire Hills and Ludlow, Telford, Ironbridge and the Severn Valley.

The report says that there are a number of self-supporting tourism groups that help their members and provide collective marketing.

Under the proposed reorganisation, they would continue to form an important element of the tourism infrastructure.