As a vast rural area with a small private sector, lacking an equivalent to Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway has had to innovate with arts tourism through events like the Wigtown Book Festival, the Wickerman Festival (indie rock) and the Spring Fling arts and crafts festival.
This last event, in which local artisans open their studios to sell their wares, celebrates its 10th anniversary over the Jubilee weekend (June 2-5). Backed by about £85,000 in EU and charitable funds, Spring Fling last year brought in a healthy £780,000 to D&G's awkwardly-dispersed economy.
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