SALISBURY is missing out on an important part of the passing tourist trade due to a lack of signage on major routes surrounding the city, according to a city councillor.

Cllr Paul Sample, who has called for the matter to be urgently addressed before the tourist season gets underway, said Salisbury was not getting “the same brown sign treatment as other less significant cities”.

Highlighting his concern at a recent Salisbury Area Board meeting he said it was “embarrassing” that the city and its attractions were not better advertised.

“I have been all over the south west recently and other towns seem to get good brown signs,” he said.

“Everywhere I go, every few miles, there are signs for some tourist attraction.

“We need to make sure our signs for Wilton House, the cathedral, the city itself, as an ancient medieval city, and other attractions around the city are much better.

“It’s basic marketing, our signs need to scream ‘visit us’.”

Cllr Sample said the brown and white tourist signs needed to be purchased and installed as soon as possible particularly as the Olympics will mean many visitors from overseas coming to the area on top of the millions of British holidaymakers remaining in the UK due to the economic slump.

“Many people will be touring the West Country this year and will be using the A303, M3 and M27,” he said.

“We have to ensure we have brown tourist signs on these routes for our major tourist attractions.

“We can’t afford not to.”

Area Board chairman Richard Clewer warned the signs were not cheap.

“They can be hideously expensive,” he said, “but it is something we have needed to fix for a long, long time.”

Councillors have asked for a report on the matter to be made ready for the next area board meeting in May.