A MAJOR tourism campaign is showing good early signs, with a big rise in people requesting North Wales Borderlands visitor brochures.

Latest figures show national tourism body Visit Wales has received 11,200 requests for the official guide so far this year.

The publication provides a flavour of what people can see and do when they visit Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire, and is part of a wider campaign to promote the three counties as a tourist destination.

The figures add up to 13,800 brochures in total – a 150% increase on the same period last year.

This year’s brochure is a smaller A5 publication, instead of the traditional 56-page A4 brochure.

This has freed-up money for a new website and more online marketing, radio advertising and public relations work to raise the profile of the borderlands as a short-break destination.

Darryl Shaw, owner of Rossett Hall Hotel near Wrexham, said: “It’s early days, but hopefully this increased early interest in the borderlands will translate into more visitors in 2009 and provide a welcome boost to the local economy.”

The brochure is available at tourist information centres and other key tourist information points.