A NEW tourism campaign has been set up in a bid to attract English visitors keen to visit areas with no fast-food chains to southern Scotland.


Tourism chiefs hope to persuade English city-dwellers to choose the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway over the Highlands and islands as a holiday destination. They are the main target of a campaign by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA).


Coastal walks, stunning scenery and an absence of fast-food chains are all being promoted as reasons to visit, amid hopes the popularity of staycations will prompt a permanent change in attitudes to holidays.


Heritage sites such as Abbotsford, the stately home of Sir Walter Scott in Melrose and the Golden Eagle centre in Moffat are cited among the reasons to visit.


The tourism alliance aims to double visitor spend in the area from its pre-Covid level to £500 million by 2030 and to create 6500 new roles in the wider tourism and hospitality sector. SSDA operates under South of Scotland Enterprise, which is the primary funder of the organisation and has provided £2.7m to build up it up over the next five years.

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Chief executive Ross McAuley said: “The challenge for us is to become the ‘go-to’ place, rather than the ‘go-through’ place.


“Historically, visitors from the largest market, which is England, have driven through the south of Scotland on their way to Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Western Isles, the Highlands and Islands, and they have not thought too much about what was available in that area of Scotland between the Border and the central belt.


“There are areas of Scotland that are almost becoming victims of their own popularity with massive traffic jams, over-touristed areas and hotspots where you find it difficult to get accommodation.


“Strategically, the development of the south as a tourism destination can help Scotland as a nation to attract more tourists without a significant impact on the quality of life of local communities.


“We have a brand positioning we call ‘Scotland starts here’. Throughout the south there are a lot of great wee market towns and communities where you get to enjoy what I would say is an authentic side of Scotland.


“You are not going to find international five-star hotel chains or Starbucks or McDonald’s but you get local experiences with local people. Visitors appreciate that authenticity.”

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The SSDA marketing drive is designed to appeal to “metropolitan adventurers” – an affluent group of “urban professionals” who like short breaks and enjoy outdoor activities, such as walking, culture, heritage and generally spending time in nature.


McAuley said: “They live in a city and they just want to get away from it, breath in the fresh air, see the great scenery and not be stuck in a place that’s too crowded. That’s where we come in, because we can offer that, especially to the English market.”