Star Comment: Hotspot for holidays is on your doorstep

A national survey has described Shropshire as the nation's finest destination. It's the go-to location for fun, stunning countryside and bargain prices.

While a week-long trip to Cornwall this summer will set you back an unpalatable £900, a similar holiday on your own doorstep is just £566.

Shropshire has emerged as the nation's leading destination in a national survey to find the best value self-catering holiday spots. Great facilities, unbeatable prices, stunning countryside and superlative food and drink cemented its number one position. Popular parts of the South West, including Cornwall, Dorset and Devon, cost an average of £300 more. The news won't come as too much of a surprise to those of us fortunate to live in Shropshire. For many years, the county has been a well-kept secret.

There are plenty of people around the UK who don't even know where Shropshire is. That outdated picture is rapidly changing as the county increases its offer to visitors.

A slew of new events has ensured there is more than ever for locals and visitors to do. The newest kid on the block is the Shrewsbury Cycle Grand Prix. It was successfully relaunched during the Bank Holiday weekend after a 20-year absence and attracted thousands of enthusiasts and professionals from across the UK. Foul weather failed to put a dampener on the event and organisers have already announced that it will return next year.

The route around the town centre proved popular with competitors and a carnival atmosphere was created by the thousands who lined the streets.

The Cycle Grand Prix is not alone. The revamped Ludlow Shakespeare Festival and Ludlow Arts Festival will start in fewer than two weeks. The festival is operated by two men, Chris Davies and Chris Moreno, who have breathed new life into the event. Two years ago, the festival looked dead and buried. Its proud 50-plus year history had been undone by poor weather and financial losses. Davies and Moreno have reshaped the event for the 21st century, putting many activities under cover and ensuring there's something for all the family.

Bookings are considerably stronger than at last year's inaugural Davies-Moreno event, with more than £70,000 extra being taken at the box office. The stage is set for a great show, with Shakespeare running from June 14-22 and an eclectic arts programme following from June 28 to July 6, featuring the likes of Jim Davidson, Ken Dodd, Ray Mears, Bellowhead, David Essex, The Bay City Rollers, Milton Jones and much, much more.

The arts festival will be followed by another recent innovation in Shropshire, the Shrewsbury Food Festival. The event was launched last year and exceeded expectation, attracting around 12,000 people to the Quarry Park in its inaugural year. This year's event has doubled in size and will take place on June 28 and 29 in Shrewsbury's Quarry Park. It is already the biggest food festival in the Midlands – far bigger than its well-known Ludlow counterpart – and is set to become an event of national importance.

The region has far more attractions than the weekend-long events for which it is becoming so well known. A £250 million redevelopment of Telford is progressing quickly as it changes the face of the town. Work is moving apace at Southwater, with a vast car park, restaurants, a hotel, new cinema, new library and extra shops being built.

With so much happening, it's no wonder Shropshire came out on top. Low prices, great variety and friendly locals make our region the finest destination in the UK. But then we didn't need a survey to tell us that: we've known it for years.