The Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Anna Turner has praised the success of Shrewsbury-based leisure business and the contribution it makes to communities across the county.

She made the comments during a visit with Deputy Lieutenant Tullis Matson to award-winning caravan and motorhome dealership Salop Leisure and the company’s Love2Stay resort today (Thursday) to mark English Tourism Week (March 18 to 27).

“I was absolutely delighted to visit Salop Leisure which encapsulates everything that the lieutenancy wants to be involved in,” said the Lord Lieutenant. “They are not only running an extremely good business promoting leisure and attracting people into the county, but they also care about the community.

“They are a model Shropshire company, successful and generous at the same time. The Shropshire Lieutenancy is the best job in the county because I get to celebrate achievements and tell people what an amazing job they are doing.” 

She revealed a personal ambition to own a campervan and said her visit was a great opportunity to see the latest models. 

After meeting staff at Salop Leisure, the Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenant were given a guided tour of the award-winning Love2Stay resort by managing director Mark Bebb. 

They met general manager Chris Skitt who explained that the resort now has a glamping village with 35 lodges, touring caravan park with 124 pitches and an adventure centre. 

“We were delighted to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenant to our business during English Tourism Week to highlight the significant investment we continue to make to attract visitors to Shrewsbury and Shropshire,” said Mr Bebb. 

“They weres extremely interested in the growth of our business and the development of the Love2Stay resort. We are proud of what has been achieved to date and have more exciting plans for the business in the pipeline which will bring further investment and jobs to the town.

“It was very encouraging to hear of the Lord Lieutenant’s ambition to become a campervan owner. Who knows, we might be welcoming her back in the near future?”

To celebrate English Tourism Week Salop Leisure has highlighted just how important tourism is to the town and county. The company attracts around half a million visitors every year to its headquarters at Emstrey while Love2Stay generates £2.85 million annually for the local economy.