Companies directly benefiting from the Enchanted Forest show will be asked to help raise £40,000 for next year’s event.
A record-breaking year has seen the sound and light show attract over 26,000 visitors to Highland Perthshire. Organisers say this injected £1.5 million into the local economy.
Despite the figures, and because the popular event attracts no public subsidy, it has been left with debt which organisers, Highland Perthshire Community Interest Company (CIC), are keen to pay off.
The show will return to Faskally Woods in 2012 after a one-season experiment at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
CIC chairman Eddie Thomson insisted that, despite the call for cash, there is no threat to the attraction.
He said: ”Since the Enchanted Forest started, we have received quite significant funds from the council but last year for the first time we didn’t get that and we started at a debit of £40,000 compared to other years when we had a blank slate.
”Thank goodness the public came along and made it such a success but, despite that, we have that debt again.
”The event is run for the community rather than as a show that makes money. The purpose is to bring people to the Highland Perthshire area to use the hotels and restaurants and shops to the benefit of the local business community, and they recognise the value of that.
”Over half of the Enchanted Forest customers stay overnight in the area and, with increased numbers attending, the overall economic impact of the event is now estimated to be in the region of £1.5 million benefit to the local economy.
”In our most recent feedback survey we asked our customers to tell us which businesses they spent money with while in the area and well over 250 businesses were mentioned by name, ranging from restaurants to takeaways, from hotels to retail shops.
”If each of those businesses were to pledge just £160 then we would have the necessary capital we need to continue to run the event.
After a multi-award winning year, Eddie said he is surprised there have been no offers of major sponsorship and he will return to the council and government for funding in light of recent success.
Mr Thomson said: ”We did a customer survey after the Pitlochry one and people said they preferred Faskally because they liked the water feature there.”
Businesses can attend an open meeting at Fishers Hotel, Pitlochry, at 7pm on December 20 to discuss the Enchanted Forest. To register attendance, email info@enchantedforest.org.uk