A CAMPAIGN to boost the number of two-centre breaks combining the excitement and buzz of Glasgow with the tranquility and stunning scenery of Loch Lomond has surpassed its targets significantly and been hailed a major success.

The Pack More In promotion, the result of a partnership involving destination marketing organisations Glasgow Life and Love Loch Lomond, and travel partner ScotRail, contributed £1.42 million to the regional economy – double the anticipated impact.

It also created 20 million opportunities for people to view its marketing messaging and generated a 4 per cent increase in off-peak return journeys.

With a total budget of £68,000-£34,000 of which was provided by VisitScotland through the national tourism organisation’s Growth Fund, the joint campaign ran from November 2015 to November 2016.

It involved a range of activities including digital content generation and digital promotions, the creation of a short marketing film as well as radio, press and online ads, familiarisation trips by journalists and bloggers, and participation in Travmedia International Media Marketplace – a prestigious travel media event in London.

Pack More In, which primarily targeted prospective visitors from Edinburgh and Aberdeen, highlighted the close proximity between the urban experiences of Scotland’s largest city and the beautiful landscapes of Loch Lomond.

It also emphasised the regularity of ScotRail train services between Glasgow Queen Street and a number of stations in the Loch Lomond area including Balloch, which has a journey time of 50 minutes, as well as the variety of special tickets available throughout the campaign, such as Kids Go Free.

Liz Buchanan MBE, regional partnerships director at VisitScotland, said: "The VisitScotland Growth Fund drives tourism growth by making it easier for businesses and partners to work together, and the success of this joint campaign by Glasgow Life, Love Loch Lomond and ScotRail has proved that it works.

"I’m delighted that the campaign delivered such great results and got the message across that these two unique, yet complementary destinations offer a perfect way to enjoy the very best of both worlds."

Susan Deighan, director of city marketing and external relations at Glasgow Life, said: "The Pack More In campaign is a great example of Glasgow’s new Tourism and Visitor Plan in action – promoting the close proximity and ease of access between the city and Loch Lomond and encouraging visitors to consider exploring the varied, but altogether complementary, tourism products and experiences available in both destinations.

"Glasgow Life is committed to working with partners like Love Loch Lomond, VisitScotland and ScotRail to achieve the city’s ambitious objectives of positioning Glasgow as the gateway to Scotland; attracting one million more visitors by 2023 and realising the huge potential of the sector for the city and country as a whole over the next seven years."

Alasdair Smart, ScotRail tourism manager, said: "This joint campaign shone the spotlight on the train as a key part of the entire two-destination break experience, rather than just a link joining different places.

"It also highlighted how accessible Loch Lomond is from Glasgow due to the frequency of train services to the stations in the area and how easy it is to plan a combined trip that offers so much to see and do.

"We are very pleased with the results of the campaign and the increased passenger numbers it has delivered."

Karen Donnelly, manager at Love Loch Lomond, added: "We were delighted to work in partnership on this exciting campaign which has been very successful in marrying the outdoor and urban tourism product.

"Pack More In showed visitors that they can make the most of their precious time off by extending the range of activities they take part in during a break or holiday; they can enjoy both the vibrancy of the city with the tranquil beauty of Loch Lomond, The Trossachs and the Clyde Sea Lochs.

"The campaign definitely inspired visitors to pack in more by travelling on from Glasgow to enjoy the great outdoors and I’m sure its impact will continue to encourage more visitors."