Leader - Put county town firmly on the map

For too long, Shropshire's county town has been one of Britain's best kept secrets. Shrewsbury has not been given the credit it deserves and has often been overlooked by tourists from the UK and overseas.

That could be about to change with the investment of £25,000 into a new strategy to spread the word. Shrewsbury has been given a shiny new logo in an attempt to make it as popular as some of England's great towns and cities.

The hope is that the rebranding exercise will help to drive up the town's tourism income to £210 million by 2015 . If the campaign is successful, the £25,000 investment will seem like a drop in the ocean.

Inevitably, there have been a small number of naysayers who have poured scorn on Shrewsbury's efforts to take a seat at the top table. Some have been sniffy about the logo, others have suggested the money would have been better spent with local businesses, rather than those based in London.

To dwell on the negatives, however, is to miss the point. Shrewsbury is a marvellous town and deserves the county's support as it aims to secure a bigger percentage of the tourist shilling. If an increased number of tourists visit it, we all stand to benefit.

Two Shropshire towns already boast high levels of popularity and are firmly established on the tourist trail. Ludlow is synonymous with great food and each year attracts millions of pounds worth of income from tens of thousands of visitors.

Much Wenlock's Olympic connections have also helped it to bring in revenues as people from around the world visit to learn more about one of the county's great heroes, Dr William Penny Brookes.

In many ways, Shrewsbury has even more to shout about. It was the birthplace of Darwin, it is one of the nation's prettiest market towns and has great history and heritage.

Of course, if the new tourism strategy changes Shrewsbury from being a best-kept-secret into one of the nation's more popular towns, locals will want to be reassured that it does not lose any of its unspoiled charm.

That is unlikely, because the people who manage the town's day-to-day business are deeply passionate about providing the best possible service for all – both for locals and visitors.

Shrewsbury's idyllic location on the banks of the River Severn ought to have visitors flooding in – though, given the town's recent weather, those tourists may need to pack a pair of Wellies.