A MARKETING campaign to try to bring visitors back into Ludlow could see billboards featuring the town in cities as far away as Birmingham and Worcester.

The billboards are just part of a potential programme that was outlined to Ludlow Town Council.

It will be funded from a £20,000 allocation that has been made available to market towns to help them to recover from the coronavirus.

The plan was presented by Mark Hooper from Visit Shropshire, a not for profit organization.

It would be built around the ‘Love Ludlow’ brand.

There is a proposal that welcome back posters will be provided for shops to put in windows and for a ‘walking tour’ map that people would collect from dispensers.

Another proposal is for ‘orientation panels’ to signpost visitors to features of interest in the town that would be located at the train station, the park and ride and town car parks.

Town councillors commented that it is important to make visitors more aware of the park and ride service as well as increasing the frequency of buses.

There may also be volunteer ‘ambassadors’ to welcome and help visitors. Ambassadors would be provided with branded tops. Volunteers would be helpers and not expected to get involved in ‘policing’ social distancing.

If the billboards are taken up they would be put in towns and cities within a one-and-a-half hour drive of Ludlow at places like roundabouts and road junctions where there is a slowdown of traffic.

Food writers and bloggers will also be encouraged to visit Ludlow.

Also included in the proposals is bunting that will brighten up the streets.

There would also be a possibility of some limited television advertising aimed at targeted audiences.

Ludlow Town Council has to complete its bid for the £20,000 by Friday, August 14.