Argyll tourist businesses are hoping to cash in on visitors enjoying city breaks in Glasgow – by highlighting how close the area is to the central belt.
A campaign will highlight the short distance the attractions of Argyll are to the big city.
The “Best of Both” campaign will showcase how easy it is to combine a stay in Glasgow with a trip to Argyll, nicknamed locally as Scotland’s Adventure Coast.
Argyll and Bute Council is providing nearly £60,000 and has welcomed additional funding of £40,000 from VisitScotland. The campaign will be delivered by Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC), with funding 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.”
Films and itineraries combining the two destinations will be created as part of the joint campaign, while digital marketing will target more than a million prospective visitors living in the north of England and east of Scotland.
Liz Buchanan, regional partnerships director at VisitScotland, said: “Glasgow, Loch Lomond and Argyll and the isles each offer unique experiences in their own right and, having proven their success in previous city-and-rural joint marketing together.
“The campaign is a wonderful approach to promoting the rich assets of each destination in a way in which will enhance the visitor experience.”