A recently completed survey of businesses in and adjacent to the Cairngorms National Park found that 68 per cent expected their businesses to grow in the coming year, boosted by the new national park designation.

This was one of the key findings summarised in a new easy to use guide which is to be distributed to businesses and which describes key aspects of the area's economy to assist them make the most of the opportunities afforded by the area's new status.

This week Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE) is sending booklets summarising the findings of a recent economic audit and opinion survey of businesses in the national park and the adjacent gateway zone around its boundaries to 2,500 companies.

The launch of the booklet comes in the wake of the official opening of the Cairngorms National Park earlier this week.

Designed as a pocket-size guide, which can easily be used for reference at meetings, the booklet contains a wealth of useful facts and figures from the audit and opinion survey commissioned on behalf of MBSE, Scottish Enterprise Grampian and Scottish Enterprise Tayside. The independent research was carried out by economic consultants between November 2002 and March this year in the lead up to the establishment of the park.

Douglas Yule, chief executive of MBSE said:  "The survey was carried out to provide us with a range of baseline economic information against which we can not only measure future changes in the economy, but also contribute to the strategic planning of the area's development in years to come. 

"The booklet contains a snapshot of the study area's population, visitor spend and other economic information.  Importantly it also summarises the opinions of businesses and their views on the future potential for them following the national park designation"

Copies of the leaflet are being posted to companies this week and are also available from Nicky Cuthbert at MBSE on 01309 696 025 or by downloading it from the MBSE website at www.hie.co.uk/mbse