Businesses who depend on the influx of visitors to the county are hoping the new, improved 2018 Cotswolds Visitor Guide will be a big success.

It is now available on a far wider scale than in previous years and includes new ideas to tempt potential holidaymakers to visit the Cotswolds in 2018.

With a print run of 200,000, and a smaller, handier A5 size, the new Cotswolds Visitor Guide will have a wide appeal both to people who think they know the Cotswolds and those who've never visited.

The publication is Cotswolds Tourism's main annual printed guide and provides a whole range of ideas for how to best enjoy the beautiful countryside, quintessential English towns and villages, as well as the huge array of fantastic places to stay and things to see and do.

For the first time, there'll be ideas about how visitors can create their perfect Cotswolds itinerary in a section titled, '48 hours in.' Other special features include seasonal highlights, top ten romantic moments, key events, shopping and eating out.

A new competition is included in the guide, supported by the Lygon Arms in Broadway, Batsford Arboretum and the Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Steam Railway - who reach a milestone this Spring then they open their extended service to Broadway.

As well as encouraging a greater pick up rate, the competition will also provide valuable data for Cotswolds Tourism, to help them understand the reach of the Visitor Guide and how it's used by visitors.

Sally Graff, from Cotswolds Tourism, said: "2018 has the potential to be a big year for both domestic and international tourism as the weak pound continues to encourage UK residents to 'staycate', and makes the UK a very attractive place to visit for overseas visitors.

"A royal wedding will also prove a big draw, with the Cotswolds' connection to the Royals, particularly for the lucrative USA market."

The 2018 visitor guide will be marketed through Cotswolds Tourism's social media channels and the website www.cotswolds.com as well as taken to all travel trade shows, overseas shows attended by our partners, and via the VisitEngland and VisitBritain partnership.

Some 5,000 copies of the guide will also be inserted into copies of Britain magazine, distributed in the USA.