Dear Prospective Member
Thank you for showing an interest in joining the Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium, we very much hope that you will consider joining our group. The Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium is a marketing consortium made up of over 90 tourism businesses in the Tweed Valley who have come together with the aim to promote the area and to encourage longer stays and a higher spend from existing visitors. It is our aim that the Tweed Valley becomes a world class activity destination.
We have come quite some way from our beginnings in 2003 as the Tweeddale Tourist Consortium and have won many awards and plaudits in the industry for the way in which the group effectively works together. We now have a web site attracting approximately 12,000 visits per month, a map leaflet distributed throughout the region and beyond and our own mountain bike hospitality scheme.
Last year we were awarded funding of £60,000, through the LEADER initiative, which was matched by Scottish Enterprise and the contributions from members of the Consortium for a three year period.
In 2010 we continue our work in marketing and developing the Tweed Valley brand and have a number of initiatives planned this year. These include:
• Continued development of the website www.visittweedvalley.co.uk [1] including its search engine optimisation
• Review and distribution of the map leaflet
• Working closely with a number of partners: including maximizing links with the 7stanes brand and working VisitScotland to raise the Tweed Valley brand.
• Exhibiting at the Best of Britain and Ireland, the Outdoor Show and a number of Mountain Bike specific events including the World Cup in Fort William.
• The recruiting of a PR agency to encourage familiarisation trips to the Tweed Valley
• Developing the data capture of the website and setting up regular E Blasts
• Working with Tour Companies to develop packages for the Tweed Valley
The Consortium is an organisation driven by the pro-activeness of the individual members. There are many opportunities to get further involved, including sitting on the sub-groups of the Mountain Biking and Sustainable Tourism, brainstorming at innovation day’s and volunteering to man exhibition stands. We very much hope that by joining the Consortium that you will get involved at every level.
We offer 3 levels of membership all of which give you a presence on our website www.visittweedvalley.co.uk [2] and the chance to participate in marketing activities
• Full membership is £200 per annum which allows you a full page on the web site with four or five photographs and 250 words.
• Enhanced membership is £100 per annum and will allow two photo entries and 250 words on the website.
• A listing is £50 per annum and entitles you to a small photo and 100 words on the website.
Unfortunately, we have already produced the Tweed Valley map leaflet for 2010 and will not be able to include you for the present year.
I sincerely hope you will decide to join us. If you are interested in registering your interest, please fill in the online form [3].
Yours sincerely
Catherine Maxwell Stuart
Chair
01896 830323
[email protected] [4]