Glasgow visitors to be targeted by new Argyll marketing campaign

Published Date: 

28 Mar 2018 - 16:32

A tourism campaign in 2018 will highlight how close the attractions of Argyll are to the central belt of Scotland, in order to attract visitors from Glasgow.

The ‘Best of Both’ campaign will showcase how easy it is to combine both city life/city breaks to Glasgow, with the benefits of Argyll, Scotland’s Adventure Coast.

Argyll and Bute Council is providing nearly £60,000 for the campaign and wider promotional activities, and has welcomed additional funding of £40,000 from Visit Scotland. The campaign will be delivered by AITC (Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative), with funding also from various additional sources including Glasgow Life, ScotRail, Calmac, and AITC itself.

Councillor Aileen Morton, Policy Lead for Economic Development, said:

“Tourism is an extremely important part of the Argyll and Bute economy. Almost a quarter of all private sector jobs in the area are based on it.

Selling Argyll and Bute as a wonderful place to visit is easy, this gives us a chance to highlight how accessible our area is. I’m pleased that so many partners, including the private sector, are backing this campaign.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editor

  • A report to a recent meeting of the council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting provides more information

  • The Argyll and the Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership plans and co-ordinates tourism sector development, and brings together:

    • Argyll and Bute Council.

    • Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative

    • Calmac

    • Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Argyll.

    • Forestry Commission Scotland.

    • Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

    • Scottish Natural Heritage.

    • ScotRail

    • VisitScotland.

       

  • Visits to key attractions in Argyll and Bute benefited from a 6.9% annual growth in visitors, compared to a 4.5%  growth across Scotland, according to statistics from the Moffat Centre’s 2017 Scottish Visitor Attraction Barometer Reports (January - November).

A range of actions to boost tourism, taken by different local and national agencies, were highlighted to a recent meeting of the council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee (ED&I), as examples of the work being done to support the Argyll and Bute tourism economy.

These include the council’s £2 million+ investment in a new marina in Campbeltown, and, with partners, its £3 million investment in a step-ashore, pontoon facility in Oban.

The Oban pontoons has attracted around 5,000 national and international visitors already since its opening in August 2017.

The council has also commissioned a Workforce Survey to identify areas for action in developing the skills needed by the local tourism economy in the longer term.