MANAGERS of the Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID) have unveiled their marketing ploys to entice more people to visit the town during the off-season.

A new three-pronged advertising will be launched by managers with the ‘Perfect Getaway’ campaign, which has cost an estimated £30,000, and is part of the £100,000 contract with Christchurch-based marketing company RLA.

This will involve large posters and radio campaigns in Southampton and Bristol as the BID tries to target visitors who can travel to and from Weymouth in a day.

The campaign will also coincide with the launch of a brand new website, called weareweymouth.co.uk, which will give details on events and information on the town.

Along with the advertising push, Weymouth BID has also organised events to draw more people into the town, such as the Waterfest, the Feast festival in October and the Victorian Shownight.

Nigel Reed, pictured right, manager of the BID, said: “We are trying to refocus some of the advertising because we are now out of season and we are encouraging people to come to Weymouth.

“A lot of the original marketing for the town, and for other seaside towns, is focused on the summer and the beach and we are trying to tell people ‘yes that’s right, but there is a lot more to do’. We are trying to remind people that Weymouth doesn’t shut in September.”

Mr Reed said the BID was trying to encourage people who would take weekend breaks to visit the town He added: “We are also trying to encourage people who may have visited the town as a child with their families to come back and there are also new markets emerging, such as Challenge Weymouth, that we are trying to capitalise on.”

BID has also sanctioned the installation of three CCTV cameras in the main shopping area of Weymouth to analyse the footfall.

Mr Reed said the cameras, which have cost the BID £8,000, would be installed by the start of October.