ÐÏࡱá > þÿ þÿÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿì¥Á ‡b ø¿ h jbjbÐÐ h² h² h ÿÿ ÿÿ ÿÿ ˆ ž ž ž ž ž ž ž î ò ò ò ò þ î ¬   4 4 4 4 # % % % % % % , L R ž ˆ Q ž Ï @ Q ž ž 4 4 › f ž 4 ž 4 # ² $ Ö ž ž ž ž # Ž ç h ž ž # ÷ù*Æ ò O # | 0 ¬ _ Ä & & # ž î î ò î î ò Tuesday, 5 May 2009 Press Release EUROPEAN BACKING FOR TWEED VALLEY TOURISM INITIATIVE The Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium has taken a step further in its aim to become a world class activity destination with confirmed funding from Europe. The funding of sixty thousand pounds (£60,000), through the LEADER initiative, will be matched by Scottish Enterprise and the Consortium for a three year period which has allowed the group to appoint a project development manager who will carry forward plans to expand the group and develop a wide range of marketing activities. The group, formed in 2003 with a handful of businesses, has grown year on year and has won plaudits from the industry for its innovation, use of IT and was recently a finalist at the Scottish Borders Awards. Catherine Maxwell Stuart of Traquair and the Consortium’s Chair commented, “we are absolutely delighted to take this project to the next level. The group has been going from strength to strength with over sixty (60) businesses now involved. The growth of mountain biking in the area is having a significant economic impact on the region as well as having spawned a number of new businesses. We have serious ambitions to become not only one of the best know activity destinations in Scotland but also in the world.” The Consortium has already been looking to attract visitors from further afield this year with their attendance at the Outdoor Show in Birmingham and VisitScotland expo in Glasgow, the premier showcase for the Scottish Tourism industry attracting group organisers from all over the world. Consortium members are reporting a good start to the season with a busy Easter and excellent bookings from Europe reflecting the current exchange rate. Sarah Macdonald, who has recently been appointed as development manager, is keen to increase membership particularly around the Selkirk area and any businesses interested in joining should contact her. Bowhill House and Country Park who have recently joined said “we are delighted that we are able to be part of this marketing initiative, the Tweed Valley has built up such a successful brand that brings such a wide variety of visitors – it’s great to be part of the drive to be a world class destination”. ENDS For more information please contact: Sarah Macdonald Development Manager for the Tweed Valley Consortium HYPERLINK "mailto:sarahmac808@btinternet.com"sarahmac808@btinternet.com 01835 860212 07770 781464 NOTES TO EDITORS Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium was initially the Tweeddale Tourist Consortium and was set up in 2003. There are now 62 members of the Consortium and until the appointment of the Development Manager was solely led by volunteers. There is a steering group and three sub groups: Mountain Biking; Green and IT. Catherine Maxwell Stuart chairs the Steering group and other members of the Steering Group include Kate Innes from the Tontine Hotel, Steve Davies of Caddon View, Steve Douglas from Wired Nomad, Deidre Latimer from Glentrail House. This project is being part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Scottish Borders LEADER 2007-2013 Programme % × Ø Ù Ú Û Ý G H u v w ‘ ’ ¯ ¾ ¿ À © Ç É Þ ß à h üôüàüàÍüÅü½ü²½§½üÅ¢Åü›ü›ü›ü hV‡ hç hç 5h°)T hç 0J ^J jj hç Uj hç Uh+> hç 5$j hç hç UmH nH sH u 'j hç U_H aJ mH nH sH tH hy" hç 5hç % & ' \ ] @ A Ó Ô Ñ Ò × Ù Ü Ý G “ ú ø ø ø ø ø ø ø ø ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ð ø ø ø ø ø ø dh gd+> gd÷Kõ h þ “   ­ ® ¯ À Á § ¨ à á g h ý ý ý ý ý ý ý ý ø ý ý ý gdŽTý 6 1hP :pæ« °‚. °ÆA!° "° # $ %° °Ä°ÄÄ Fðb­ öª÷æÈ*ãp¹¢cÙÿÿØÿà JFIF Ü Ü ÿÛ C ÿÛ C ÿÀ B" ÿÄ ÿÄ µ } !1AQa"q2‘¡#B±ÁRÑð$3br‚ %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyzƒ„…†‡ˆ‰Š’“”•–—˜™š¢£¤¥¦§¨©ª²³´µ¶·¸¹ºÂÃÄÅÆÇÈÉÊÒÓÔÕÖ×ØÙÚáâãäåæçèéêñòóôõö÷øùúÿÄ ÿÄ µ w !1AQaq"2B‘¡±Á #3RðbrÑ $4á%ñ&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz‚ƒ„…†‡ˆ‰Š’“”•–—˜™š¢£¤¥¦§¨©ª²³´µ¶·¸¹ºÂÃÄÅÆÇÈÉÊÒÓÔÕÖ×ØÙÚâãäåæçèéêòóôõö÷øùúÿÚ ? ýü¢Š( ¢Š( ¢Š( ¢Š( ¢Š( ¢Š( ¢Š(òkþ£ÿ ‘àÏý…õ¯ýg_•û'ÿ Qÿ ȉðgþÂú×þŠ³¯ÆÊý«ƒÿ 䟥ë/ý)ŸÏ{ÿ %EoHÿ é((¢Šúcã‚Š( Š( Š( Š( Š( Š( ‚qÖŠè¾|8Ö>/üQðÿ ÂíÝëú¼0•Ûæ8RÇÙA,}®L~;–àªâñå§N2”›é¦Ûù$m‡ÃÕÅW…jò“I.í»#