Dome will ensure a buoyant festival

Jul 10 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A BLOW-UP visitor information centre is set to ‘pump up the volume’ at Balado this weekend.

In a bid to ensure a ‘buoyant’ start to its touring season, national tourism organisation VisitScotland has created an inflatable visitor information dome specially for T in the Park.

Working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council, the branded dome will provide visitors from home and abroad with tips on activities and attractions both locally and further afield.

Messages will be sent to thousands of festival-goers’ mobile phones to encourage them to visit the dome and give details on prize draws, including a chance to win a T in the Park package for 2010.

The dome, which measures 10 metres in diameter and can hold up to 64 people, will be manned by local staff and will be equipped with plasma screens for showing promotional films, and a snowboard simulator.

As part of VisitScotland’s biggest ever domestic campaign to encourage people to discover more on their doorstep, dome staff will also be distributing booklets and giving away freebies including branded straw hats.

VisitScotland’s regional director Richard Pinn said T in the Park presented an opportunity “to get tourism growth back on track”.

“By telling people about the variety and quality of other local attractions, we can maximise on visits to local events in the area which is critical to the future of tourism in Perthshire,” he said.

Visitors from more than 20 different countries are expected at Balado, including Australia, America, Brazil and Korea.