A new-look website and social media marketing campaign to encourage visitors to the Blairgowrie and East Perthshire area this autumn and beyond is being launched by the area’s destination marketing organisation this week, thanks to funding from VisitScotland.
Working in collaboration with the innovative Cateran Ecomuseum, one of only two ‘museums without walls’ in Scotland, Outside Media Group and the wider community, the Blairgowrie and East Perthshire Tourist Association (BEPTA) is delivering a targeted campaign as part of wider efforts to develop strong visitor propositions that recognise the latest consumer trends post-COVID-19.
The new campaign and revamped website feature the many and varied attractions in the Blairgowrie and east Perthshire area, including its accommodation providers, food and drink offering, and activity providers, as well as The Awakening – a unique, one-off installation on the hills of Glenshee.
The redevelopment of the www.visitcaterancountry.com website run by BEPTA has seen it undergo a complete overhaul. It has additional functionality such as an integrated events platform, an interactive map {IS THIS BIT TRUE?!} and improved search engine optimisation.
It is also fully integrated with the Visit Cateran Country social media channels and a new logo has been designed for the volunteer-run membership organisation.
And the site is easier for tourism-related businesses in the area to sign up to become members of BEPTA and Visit Cateran Country thanks to a new automated system.
Hotelier Murray Scott is chair of BEPTA.
He said: “We were absolutely delighted to receive this funding from VisitScotland which has enabled us to significantly improve our website and to launch our first-ever dedicated social media campaign.
“BEPTA’s primary role is as a marketing organisation for the region and our Visit Cateran Country website and social media platforms are the primary tools we have at our disposal to provide aspirational and inspirational content to encourage potential visitors to choose this area over others for their next trip.
“The aim for the new-look website was to build on the existing Visit Cateran Country brand and give the site more of a ‘wow’ factor, appealing to both young and old, and to ensure it becomes the go-to portal for all things cateran country and east Perthshire, which we think we have achieved.
“It is more user-friendly, will be easier to find and easier to navigate once on the site, has more dynamic content, and provides visitors to the site with an inspirational and informative experience that we are confident will drive bookings to the area.
“We also wanted to make it easier for our members to use, and have therefore significantly improved the listings and content options available to them.”
Murray added: “The social media campaign highlights Blairgowrie and east Perthshire’s strong cultural and creative, food and drink and outdoor pursuits offerings,
“Building on the appetite for staycations and rediscovering Scotland, we’re aiming to encourage people who live within two-to-three hours travel time of Blairgowrie and east Perthshire to visit the area using a range of channels to showcase The Awakening and the wider area, increasing visitor numbers in what is traditionally a quieter time of year for the tourism.
“Tourism is one of the driving forces of a sustainable rural economy in the Blairgowrie and East Perthshire area and this area has something for everyone.
“We have a fantastic range of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, attractions and accommodation and activity providers and host a variety of events throughout the year, from fun runs and 54-mile yomps, book festivals and art festivals to agricultural shows and Highland Games.
“And the Cateran Ecomuseum and The Awakening provide a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on this beautiful area and its historic and dramatic landscape at what is a particularly stunning time of year.”
The Awakening, a 9,000 sqm installation of a giant hand sited on the Coire Lairige at the Spittal of Glenshee and inspired by the Glen’s many Finn mac Cumhaill stories, has been co-designed by talented Tayside-based artist Martin McGuinness – whose acclaimed portrait of Hamish Henderson formed part of the launch of the Cateran Ecomuseum in 2019 – and long-term collaborator Fraser Gray. It was installed this autumn to coincide with the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow and will remain in place until mid-December.
