Scots are being encouraged to visit farms and buy local food during their summer staycations this year as part of a new campaign.
Red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has teamed up with Scottish Agritourism and VisitScotland to encourage people to visit farms and crofts for day trips or their holidays, and to buy local food and drink including Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.
The six-week campaign, run under the Go Rural brand, will encourage travellers to try out agritourism, support local businesses and enjoy Scottish produce.
“Around 80% of our agritourism members produce Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb and we are seeing an increase in demand for being able to enjoy tasty meat on a BBQ as part of a farm visit, taking part in unique field to fork dining experiences or having a full stocked fridge with local produce as part of a holiday,” said Scottish Agritourism sector lead Caroline Millar.
“Working with QMS and VisitScotland on this campaign will help to support many hundreds of agritourism businesses across Scotland to drive sales as well as raising the profile of the Go Rural brand as a trusted source when booking an agritourism experience.”
QMS director of marketing and communications, Lesley Cameron, said the campaign would promote field to fork at its finest.
She said: “The activity will allow visitors to learn where their food comes from and further their appreciation about the fantastic countryside and farms we have in Scotland.
“We are looking forward to reaching consumers with recipe inspiration, hints and tips, encouraging them to buy and enjoy red meat as part of their Scottish agritourism experience.”
VisitScotland’s director of marketing and digital, Vicki Miller, said agritourism had grown in popularity in recent years and the campaign would build on this by encouraging visitors to seek out local produce to further immerse themselves in the place they are visiting.
She added: “VisitScotland is focused on the recovery of the industry, building a destination and visitor experience which allows tourism and events to flourish now and in the future. We’ll continue to work with, and support, businesses to ensure we rebuild this vital part of Scotland’s economy.”
More information about Go Rural is online at www.goruralscotland.com
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