A ‘huge asset’ to the local economy
So said Councillor Graham Garvie, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for culture, after it was hinted this week that more visitors than ever are set to attend the ninth annual Brewin Dolphin Book Festival.
The 2011 event attracted a massive attendance of 12,600 – up 23 per cent on the 10,200 who enjoyed the 2010 festival – and analysts later advised that the economic impact on the central Borders was up by a similar margin to £3.34million. It was also revealed that 36 per cent of the audience last year came from outwith the region.
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Hide Ad“Each year the proportion of people attending from outside the area has increased,” said festival director Alistair Moffat. “It is too early to give exact figures for this year, but with the strong programme and judging by ticket sales to date, I’m confident they will, at the very least, match, if not exceed, last year’s numbers.”