WATCH: Visit Wester Ross' 'Are You a West Coaster?' campaign releases new films as successful Ross-shire tourism push is extended through the Highlands' summer months
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A TOURISM campaign aimed at driving more visitors to Wester Ross has proven so successful it has been extended into the summer.
'Are You a West Coaster?', which is run by Visit Wester Ross, has launched two new films online as its marketing push continues,.
The campaign has been designed to attract visitors who have an affinity with Wester Ross and the people who live there.
This time, viewers are introduced to the ‘Wildlife West Coaster’ and the ‘Storyteller West Coaster’. Steve Ward from the Glass Bottomed Boat in Gairloch is the Wildlife West Coaster. Originally from Coventry, “pure love” brought Steve to Wester Ross.
Steve explains: “We get to see starfish, crabs, lobsters occasionally and different seaweeds and we have a population of seals who always enthral our visitors. I wake up every morning and kick myself that I’m here and I’d certainly like to see more tourists staying in the area for longer.”
Eddie Stiven is the ‘Storyteller West Coaster’, a playwright living in Glenelg who frequently welcomes people from all over the world and shares stories about Wester Ross as they discover its natural and historic landscape.
Eddie believes that Wester Ross is a great place to tell stories: “The stories are literally here. They’re in the place names, in the oral tradition of the people who live here, they’re in the Gaelic language, the English language and the Scots language. They tell us how places are named, about the history of piping, and about the antiquities that we have here, particularly the lovely brochs. Wester Ross has a rich cultural heritage, and it is a wonderful place to live.”
Launched in January this year, Are you a West Coaster? comprises a series of films featuring West Coasters who run businesses in Wester Ross and are looking to develop sustainable tourism in the area, which is also designated a Biosphere by UNESCO.
These new films are part of the tourism strategy for Wester Ross, supported by national efforts spearheaded by VisitScotland, to develop sustainable tourism.
Douglas Gibson, Co-ordinator at Visit Wester Ross, added: “As we approach our busiest season, we felt it was only right to showcase more of our wonderful West Coasters. Since the start of the year, we have used our West Coasters to really bring to life the fabulous destination of Wester Ross with all its natural, cultural, historic and culinary delights.
“It is fitting that our latest films feature the wildlife native to Wester Ross, as well as our rich cultural history in our stories as Scotland marks the Year of Stories in 2022. We hope that we get as good a response on social media to the Are You a West Coaster? campaign as we did earlier in the year which saw our followers increase by over 200 per cent on Facebook and by over 300 per cent on Instagram.”
More information about Visit Wester Ross and the full series of films can be found at www.visitwester-ross.com.
