Dumfries and Galloway aims for £70m tourism growth

Ms Finlay said Dumfries and Galloway was well placed to attract more tourists

A new strategy has been drawn up to try to boost the value of the tourism sector in Dumfries and Galloway.

It is already estimated to be worth about £270m to the region - but a five-year plan has been laid out in a bid to increase that figure to £340m.

The document has been developed by a number of agencies including Destination Dumfries and Galloway.

Wilma Finlay, who chairs the organisation, said the strategy's success depended on a range of factors.

She said it would rely on both promotion and the industry working together to offer packages to people visiting the area.

Ms Finlay, who runs the Cream O' Galloway ice cream company, said tourism businesses had to ensure they managed to "get it right".

"It is ambitious but the industry wants to be ambitious," she said.

She said early indications were that more people would be staying in the UK this summer and she believed Dumfries and Galloway was well-positioned to take advantage of that.

"We want to up our share in what we have been getting so far and really make an effort to reach some of these targets," she added.