TOURISM in Dorset is set to benefit from a new national initiative.

The Visit Dorset tourism partnership has teamed up with the national tourist board at VisitEngland to promote the county as part of a campaign to encourage more people to holiday at home.

The Growing Tourism Locally project will see the government invest £41.9m over three years from its regional growth fund as well as contributions from VisitEngland and destination partners from around the country.

The Visit Dorset partnership, which includes district and borough councils from across the county, will take part in three campaigns promoting coastal escapes, rural escapes and the English seaside.

The county will be featured in a range of national media including The Guardian and Mail on Sun-day newspapers and network radio stations such as Classic FM and Gold FM.

There will also be a digital and social media cam-paign running with Facebook competitions and dedicated Dorset pages on visitengland.com.

The campaign will hope to inspire UK residents to experience and explore England’s world famous coastline, inspiring landscapes, historic market towns, picturesque villages and seaside destinations.

Visit Dorset will be working alongside other major holiday destinations includ-ing the English Riviera, the Peak District and York-shire.

Leader of West Dorset District Council, Coun Robert Gould, said: “We are pleased that the Visit Dorset partnership has been able to support VisitEngland’s high profile national campaigns.

“This has provided an exciting opportunity to showcase Dorset as a leading UK holiday destination.

“Dorset has so much to offer: beautiful beaches, a wide range of attractions, stunning countryside and the Jurassic coastline.

“We are looking forward to welcoming many more visitors to the area to support our tourism industry on the back of these campaigns.”

To find out more about the work of Visit Dorset go to the website at www.visit-dorset.com.