North East 250 driving route showcased in new campaign
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A driving route that highlights the best of the north-east's landscapes and visitor experiences has been enjoying a surge in interest.
The North East 250 has been the focus of a recent digital marketing campaign, part-funded by VisitScotland.
Find Yourself on The North East 250 focused on three key themes history and heritage; outdoor and adventure; and food and drink experiences.
The route was recently ranked by Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List in the top 500 unmissable global travel experiences, a further boost when international travel can resume safely.
VisitScotland’s Growth Fund provided half of the funding for the digital marketing campaign and worked with Visit Moray Speyside and North East 250.
Using a mix of short videos, a feature promotional video, itineraries and influencers experiencing the route for themselves, a variety of material highlights what people can expect from their stay.
The total reach across Facebook and Instagram was 1,491,060 and 442,582 views of the video content. There were 109,839 page views to the website northeast250.com with 36,546 new users to the website during the duration of the campaign.
Guy Macpherson-Grant, director of North East 250 Limited, said: “This has been a tremendous opportunity to partner with our national tourism organisation and Visit Moray Speyside, to promote an area of the country that has such exciting and varied attractions for visitors, both local and from afar.
"As well as having had an immediate impact through interaction on social media, the wealth of stunning images and enthusiastic reviews and commentary that we have amassed sets us up well for future marketing activity.”
The campaign has captured all the highlights from the route including the coastlines of the Moray Firth; the wilderness of the Cairngorms; historic castles and the Royal connection on Deeside; and the whisky lover’s paradise of Speyside.
Regional director at VisitScotland Jo Robinson said: “We are delighted that VisitScotland’s Growth Fund was able to support this successful campaign.
"We knew the visitor economy around the North East 250 was already a strong proposition but now we have clear evidence of the high demand for the region.
"The marketing around outdoor and heritage worked particularly well, and this gives us great insight for future campaigns.
"It is also further proof of the positive impact that collaboration can have on stimulating recovery following the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the tourism and events industry.”
Laurie Piper, chief executive of Visit Moray Speyside, said: “The campaign was performing well when it was paused due to Covid-19 in March – what is even more impressive is that upon resuming in August the numbers were even stronger than before – proving that Moray and the north-east hold huge appeal for visitors from across the UK and beyond.”
To view the content including the itineraries to help people plan their journey, visit www.northeast250.com or search #NE250 on social media.
For further information of VisitScotland’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, visit www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/advice/coronavirus
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