MORE members are being sought to join the VisitMoffat group which works to promote the town.
After nearly seven years as office holders, Leys Geddes and Alistair are going to stand down at the next AGM.
In advance of that, they have written to all existing members of the volunteer community group explaining that it will be entering a new era, described as VisitMoffat 2.0, and asking them to confirm their membership.
Posting on Facebook this week, Leys said: “We are now asking whether others in the community would like to become members. “There is no cost for being a member, but we need members as a requirement of our constitution, and to demonstrate to funders and other bodies that our community is supportive of what we do. There is no obligation for members to do anything, but it would be a pleasure to know that we have more support!
“Many of our businesses rely on the trade they receive from visitors and sustainable tourism accounts for about 36 per cent of jobs in Moffat. This is more than three times the proportion in Dumfries and Galloway or Scotland as a whole. Without visitors, Moffat, like many small towns in Scotland, is at risk.”
He pointed out that about 35,000 vehicles pass along the A74(M) every day, but many turn off at service stations rather than detouring into Moffat.
Leys added: “Businesses in other towns, and in areas such as the Tweed Valley, are working together to bring in more visitors. These are just two of many powerful reasons why we need to keep promoting Moffat as a destination.”
