Highland destination organisations have launched a new marketing campaign to encourage visitors to the Highlands in winter.
Visit Inverness Loch Ness, Cairngorms Business Partnership, Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, NC500, Venture North, Skye Connect and Visit Moray Speyside are financially contributing, with further tourism groups providing advice and content.
The campaign aims to raise the profile of the Highlands as a winter destination and inspire visitors to explore the region off-season for a short break or longer holiday, to extend the tourism season and generate economic benefit during this time.
The campaign is being led by the Highland Tourism Partnership (HTP), working with VisitScotland.
As a partnership of Destination Marketing Organisations in the region, the HTP collectively covers more than 1,000 businesses in Highland, from across all sectors – hotels, B&Bs, attractions, tours and food and drink.
The campaign began in late January, will run through February and has seen the destinations contribute a total of £17.5K in funding to help amplify the content created by the individual destinations through a new dedicated video and landing page.
Here, visitors can discover more about Inverness and the mysterious Loch Ness; Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park; and the exhilarating snowsports available in Lochaber, the Outdoor Capital of the UK.
Chris Taylor, VisitScotland regional leadership director, said: “This fantastic campaign, which brings the Highland DMOs together to promote not only their own areas but the Highlands as a whole, aims to provide an immediate boost to businesses who have been severely affected by the pandemic.
“It also highlights what an amazing range of experiences visitors can have in the Highlands in winter – from snowsports and the Northern Lights to whisky tasting and winter wildlife.
“We want to encourage visitors to slow down and savour some of our great locations in winter – when the region is traditionally quieter, which will help manage numbers throughout the year and provide our visitors with a unique and rewarding experience.”
The campaign builds on the £494,000 destination and sector marketing funding for the region, administered by VisitScotland, to help Highland destinations rebuild and recover from COVID-19.
Targeting primarily the Scottish and northern English audience, it aims to demonstrate why the Highlands is a truly magical region to visit during the winter, with its icy lochs and wintry mountains.
It encourages visitors to slow down and take their time making memories in the Highlands – from stepping back in time into a land of castles and clan rivalries on the Isle of Skye, to exploring the hidden gems along the North Coast 500 and the 3,000 million-year-old wilderness of the North West Highlands Geopark.
The region also boasts beautiful coastlines – from the dramatic clifftops of Caithness to the sandy beaches of Nairn and Dornoch.
The campaign covers a number of themes including outdoor activities, dramatic landscapes, geodiversity, wildlife, the Northern Lights, slow adventures, hidden gems, unique history and cultural heritage, responsible tourism, cosy places to stay and eat, and food and drink.
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