UPTON's prosperity depends on its success in attracting wealthy, professionals as tourists, according to a member of Malvern Hills District Council's tourism team.

Tourism manager Angela Lessimore told the town council on Tuesday night that it was vital to attract people at the top of the socio-economic scale.

"People who come here have to be professional people of a certain age, about 45, and who have disposable income," she said.

Ms Lessimore said the town boasted "quality attractions and accommodation" but those who visited needed to be able to afford to take advantage of it.

She described the work of her department, including organising trips for national press round the town and marketing Upton at shows at the Birmingham NEC and Wembley.

Ms Lessimore thanked Upton businesses for advertising in the tourism guide produced by her department, as without that she would not be able to promote the town.

"I have a budget for the tourist information centres but I work with very little budget for tourism promotion," she said.

Ms Lessimore said that although life in the tourist industry last year had been "very difficult", things were now improving for the town.

"We had five weeks this year when there was not a bed to spare in Upton," she said, adding that the number of people visiting of the town's tourism information centre had doubled since last year.

Upton district councillor and MHDC chairman Mary Wilkinson voiced support for Ms Lessimore.

"We couldn't survive here without tourism, whether people like it or not," she said.

Coun Wilkinson said there was no way 2,500 electors could support all the shops and businesses in Upton and that as expanding industry within the town is not an option, tourism was vital.