Funding boost for Scotland’s North East

A new digital marketing campaign to be supported by VisitScotland will inspire visitors from across the UK and further afield to discover the rich diversity of the North East 250.

Find Yourself on The North East 250 has received a £19,175 Growth Fund award from the national tourism organisation that will match investment by the North East 250 itself. The VisitScotland Growth Fund supports national, regional and sectoral tourism groups across Scotland to deliver partnership marketing campaigns.

The campaign is a collaboration between Moray Speyside Tourism and North East 250 and will use innovative digital marketing to promote the circular route as a top visitor experience. This will be done through focusing on three key themes: history & heritage, outdoor & adventure and food & drink experiences.

The campaign activity will include short videos highlighting the North East 250’s three themes, as well as a feature promotional video, interviews with visitors who have enjoyed the route and digital itineraries. These will be promoted through social media using the hashtag #NE250 and on www.northeast250.com.

The Scotlanders, Scotland’s first travel blogger collaboration, kickstarted the campaign by taking on the route and showcasing its diversity across their social channels, as well as releasing blogs and videos. The group has a collective following of over 100,000 people in excess of one hundred countries. All of their content will be accessible on the campaign’s landing page.

This campaign demonstrates a fresh approach to marketing the North East of Scotland because it is the first time that a regional Destination Management Organisation and a membership organisation such as the North East 250 have collaborated on a consumer-focused digital marketing campaign.

Laurie Piper, Tourism Operations Manager at Moray Speyside Tourism, said: “The North East 250 is not just a driving route, it’s a journey which offers visitors a varied and rich experience, traversing six distinct areas each with its own rich story. We were delighted to partner with North East 250 on this exciting new campaign, taking an innovative approach to marketing the North East of Scotland across and beyond traditional geographic boundaries.”

Guy Macpherson-Grant, Director of North East 250, said: “Prior to the North East 250’s development, there was no circular route around the North East of Scotland despite there being an easily identifiable proposition that would be a really fun experience for visitors. With the support of Moray Speyside Tourism right from the beginning, the North East 250 was developed to address this need. This campaign is an opportunity to showcase this diverse route to visitors across the UK and beyond.”

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Jo Robinson, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “I’m delighted that we were able to support this campaign with our Growth Fund award. The North East 250 is a fantastic route, pulling all of Scotland’s best assets under one umbrella, and I’m thrilled to see the area’s tourism industry coming together and using innovative digital channels to promote the route to visitors.

At VisitScotland, we want to champion collaboration, spearhead digital innovation, promote local areas and ensure that tourism is recognised for the ripple effect of success, well-being and prosperity it brings to all sections of society.”

ENDS