An estimated 50 million people across the globe have Scots ancestry and the Scottish region of Angus & Dundee hopes to tap into this market with the launch of a two-year ancestry initiative for the area.

Project manager, Gillian Harrower, said: “An ambitious programme is planned for the next two years.

“One of our key objectives will be to develop a Roots Festival for Angus & Dundee in 2008, which will then be further developed for 2009 linking in to Scotland’s Year of Homecoming.

“The event will be aimed at locals and tourists alike, giving a real flavour of Angus & Dundee’s rich heritage and culture.”

The initiative would like to hear from community groups, businesses and individuals with a keen interest in local or family history, genealogy or ancestral tourism, with a view to developing an Angus & Dundee Ancestral Forum to take forward new product development ideas. To register interest in the initiative please contact Gillian Harrower, Tourism and Leisure Solutions, on +44 (0)1738 860523 or [email protected]

David Selfridge, convenor of Infrastructure Services Committee, Angus Council said: “We believe we are strongly placed in Angus & Dundee to capitalise on this interest and generate spin off for the local economy through increased tourism.

“It’s an important market for us because ancestral tourists both stay longer and spend more when they’re here than other tourists.

They also have a greater propensity to travel in the shoulder months, leading to a real opportunity to develop tourism in off-peak periods.”

The initiative has been made possible by funding assistance from the Angus & Dundee Area Tourism Partnership.

Photograph: The crew of RRS Discovery, the ship in which Captain Scott sailed to the Antartctic. The RSS Discovery is based at Discovery Point in Dundee, and is open to visitors.