Visitors targeted in Spirit of the Highlands and Islands marketing campaign
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A new marketing campaign has been launched in a bid to encourage visitors from across the UK and Europe to discover the natural and cultural heritage of the Highlands and Islands.
It is part of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands, a partnership project between Highland Council and High Life Highland which will be delivered in collaboration with VisitScotland as a £500,000 multi-channel promotional drive.
Visitors will be urged to explore all parts of the region and to attend festivals and events. There will also be a focus on year-round visits.
The project will encourage people to enjoy "slow and immersive" travel while contributing to the sustainable recovery of the tourism sector post-pandemic.
Places, people and their stories are key themes.
The campaign will include a publishing partnership with the Guardian, digital advertising, organised press trips, broadcast and social media activity and work with social and digital influencers, bloggers and vloggers.
Starting this month, the Guardian publishing partnership will include digital display adverts and a series of articles about the Highlands and Islands’ natural and cultural heritage.
The campaign will also cover Gaelic language as well as the music, art and crafts of the Highlands and Islands.
Councillor Ian Brown, leader of Inverness city and area and co-chairman of the Inverness Castle Delivery Group, said: “We want to ignite visitors’ sense of passion for local culture, nature and heritage through the stories that are told by communities within the Highlands and Islands.
"The splendour of colours in the autumn and winter months is breathtaking, so encouraging visitors to explore the Highlands and Islands during these seasons offers a different pace.”
High Life Highland chairman Mark Tate said: "There is so much to uncover throughout the Highlands and Islands. We want visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the natural and cultural beauty that we are lucky to call home.
"The joint marketing campaign will inspire visitors to come and take time to explore and really engage with our local culture and nature.”
VisitScotland’s director of marketing Vicki Miller said: “The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands marketing campaign will bring the unique natural and cultural beauty of the region to life.
"The campaign aims to encourage visitors to enjoy their trip in a way that means the attributes which make these regions so attractive can be enjoyed for years to come.
"As we move into winter, now is the perfect time to shine a light on the area and amazing experiences our visitors can have across the whole of the Highlands and Islands.”
The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project is supported by a grant from the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund, led by NatureScot and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
The Spirit of the Highlands and Islands initiative is part of the Inverness Castle project. The castle, opening in 2025, will benefit from £30 million investment to support its redevelopment from the Scottish and UK governments, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and other partners.
The Inverness Castle project is part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region deal, a joint initiative supported by up to £315 million of investment from the UK and Scottish governments, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and University of the Highlands and Islands.
