A tourism partnership that promotes Loch Lomond as a year-round, must-visit destination is celebrating a “major watershed” following a cash boost from VisitScotland.
The national tourism organisation is providing Love Loch Lomond with £40,200 of match funding from its Growth Fund, with the money being used for a variety of marketing activities, including the development of seasonal micro websites that provide a wide range of holiday offers in the area.
Scottish Enterprise is giving £15,000 to the total project cost of £80,000.
The money will also be used to fund online and press advertising campaigns, representation at major travel events and maximise the growing tourism potential from online social networking.
The award was announced by Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, during a visit to Cameron House, one of the members of the Love Loch Lomond partnership.
Mr Cantlay said: “I am delighted to announce this VisitScotland Growth Fund award for Love Loch Lomond. Now, more than ever, it is vital that businesses work together to boost Scottish tourism. The partners of Love Loch Lomond are doing a fantastic job of promoting this region and we are pleased to be able to help their ongoing marketing campaigns with this award.”
John Urquhart, Chairman of Love Loch Lomond, said: “This award marks a major watershed for our fledging organisation as it will enable us to step up the scale of marketing activity on a collaborative basis with the 112 businesses in our membership scheme and with other partners in the travel trade.
“We are aiming to position Loch Lomond and the Clyde Sea Lochs area more strongly as a year-round destination in key UK markets and, with this funding boost, we are confident this is achievable.”
Formed last year, Love Loch Lomond is an industry-led Destination Organisation that operates in the Loch Lomond, Strathendrick, West Dunbartonshire and Clyde Sea Lochs areas.
The VisitScotland Growth Fund allows collaborating tourism businesses to apply for up to £65,000 of funding to help market their product to its maximum potential.
It builds on the success of the European Union-supported VisitScotland Growth Fund which distributed £1 million to tourism marketing groups in Scotland between 2008 and 2011.
The VisitScotland Growth Fund is open to Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and industry marketing groups. It can support groups with up to 50 per cent (from £5,000 to £65,000) of their marketing costs to develop and deliver new marketing activity, to help them reach new target markets, increase visitor numbers and create an environment for visitors to do more, spend more and stay longer.
For more information on the VisitScotland Growth Fund, visit www.visitscotland.org/growthfund
