REPRESENTATIVES of over 90 businesses from across the region gathered at Tower Mill in Hawick last week for the annual Scottish Borders Tourism Conference.

The packed agenda saw delegates hear from a range of national and local speakers, including Tom Campbell, chief executive of North Coast 500, and Kim Proven from The Loch Earn Tourism Information Group

Under the theme of Collaboration & Connectivity: Moving the Scottish Borders Forward, delegates were urged to look at how they manage and market their businesses and how they can better work together to boost awareness of the region as a quality tourist destination.

Carol Ann Houghton, chair of The Scottish Borders Tourism Partnership, said: “This year’s conference was a fantastic day with great turnout from Borders-wide businesses.

"I’d like to thank all our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors for helping create such excitement and passion about the potential for our tourism industry.

"Now’s the time to build on that and work together to deliver a vibrant future for the region.”

Calum Kerr, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, had hoped to attend the conference but was delayed in London following the Westminster terrorist attack.

He sent his support by letter, stating: “We know that we have phenomenal resources to draw upon: whether that’s our landscape, our food, our history, or our people. But there is a clear need to harness of all those resources and package them more effectively.

"So it was great to hear that a range of creative ideas on how finding a collaborative solution to take things to the next level emerged during the course of the conference.

"I eagerly await the opportunity to engage with the outcomes from this event and look forward to exploring how we can get the specific proposals moving.”