Oswestry desperately needs more visitors to boost the economy, tourism chiefs say.

National high streets are struggling and last week retail guru Mary Portas outlined how she felt struggling high streets could be saved.

Her report identified how town centres needed to adapt to changing trends and not be just shopping centres but ‘visitor destinations’ as well to ensure their revival.

Now councillors and tourism chiefs in Oswestry are calling for more people to support the town – and have launched a new tourism brochure to boost visitor numbers.

They hope the launch of the brochure will help encourage people to take short breaks and week-long holidays.

The Escape to Oswestry booklet was unveiled this week in the Guildhall on the Bailey Head.

Betty Gull, chairman of Oswestry Borderland Tourism, said she hoped people would like the brochure and that it would be ‘a great selling point for the area’.

She said: “We need visitors in our area. If people can get to the area then they can come into the town.

“There is so much to see around and about Oswestry we really ought to share it.

“We live in a beautiful part of the country and the scenery is magnificent and the people are so nice. If people come into the area and find it friendly they are more likely to come back.”

She said visitors came to the town throughout the year and there was a calendar of events for people.

Miss Gull is also urging people to think ahead for the 2013 brochure and contact her if they have events happening that year that could be added to the brochure.

The 2012 brochure received warm praise from town mayor Cynthia Hawksley, who said: “Escape to Oswestry is better than ever. It is wonderful and it shows events for the Oswestry area for the whole year. I wish them every success with it.”

The 41-page publication has photographs of Cae Glas Park, Whittington Castle and the Pontcysyllte aqueduct on its cover.

Inside there is information about the town as well as Llanymynech and the Ceiriog Valley.

There are also details of bed and breakfasts in the area.