Visitors to Shrewsbury are getting younger, with their average age falling by about 20 years in just over a decade, new research showed today.

Tourism bosses said they had been working hard to attract visitors under 45 and the latest figures showed their efforts had paid off.

They said promotion in publications such as Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Time Out which helped to bring the average age down.

Today’s research, carried out by Shropshire Tourism, shows that 15 per cent of visitors to Shrewsbury are now aged between 35 and 45, which bosses claim is a significant figure.

Simon McCloy, chief executive at Shropshire Tourism, said: “Thirteen years ago the average age of visitors to Shrewsbury was 65 or over.

“Now the average visitor is 45, and 15 per cent of visitors are aged between 35 to 45, which we think bodes well for the future.”

He said younger visitors could be being attracted to the town due to the changing economic climate which he said meant younger people had more disposable income.

He said: “Shrewsbury has a good product to offer young people with lots of new bars, cafes and independent shops run by young people themselves.”

“Over the years we have promoted Shrewsbury in media with a younger demographic, such as Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and Time Out.”

The research was carried out by Shropshire Tourism as part of a marketing strategy for the town commissioned by Shropshire Council.

More than 1,100 visitors were surveyed, along with hundreds of businesses to find out a profile of the average visitor to Shrewsbury.

Mr McCloy said the research looked at three groups – day trippers, UK domestic visitors and overseas tourists.

“Across all three markets the average visitor was 45 years old or over, travelling with a partner and without children.”

The majority of overseas visitors to Shrewsbury came from Europe, Australia and North America.