WE'RE keeping an international welcome in the hillsides here in South East Wales.

Actually, that's Bienvenue, Willkommen, Croeso and whatever the Japanese is for "Glad to see you!" (It's not that we don't know our Japanese, but our computers don't write the lingo).

A new brochure aimed at attracting foreign visitors speaks Japanese and three others - Welsh, French and German.

'Welcome to South East Wales' is a holiday brochure with a difference and the 'Lista de Attractiones' includes 18 in Gwent out of a total of 37.

Among the 'Sites Touristiques' are Abergavenny Museum, Cwmcarn Forest Drive (Paseo por el Bosque de Cwmcarn, Centro de Visitantes), Caerleon Roman Legionary Museum and Big Pit Blaenavon (Musee National de la Mine du Pays de Galles).

The Burg Caldicot und Park (Caldicot Castle and Park, to you) is among a few chateaux on offer - and who could resist the echoes of history booming from the Castillo de Chepstow?

The brochure (booklet) is part of a high-powered piece of marketing by The South East Wales Attractions Partnership, which is made up of people representing the 'attractiones' on offer. It's backed by the Wales Tourist Board.

Helen Gibbons, from Cwmcarn Forest Drive, said: "The brochure is aimed mainly at those who are already on holiday within a two-hour drive of South East Wales.

"We hope it stimulates a real interest in the region because there is so much to see and do here."

The brochure will be available from hotels, information centres and other places.

SEWAP's three-year marketing campaign also involves trade and comsumer shows, public relations, sales and research.

Some will say the research could be conducted into why everything is also in Welsh for a publication aimed at foreign visitors. And why not in Italian (just a little plug there for the Gazzis and Bracchis and Sidolis of South Wales)?

A spokewoman for SEWAP said it was thought Welsh should be used as Wales was the host country and the other languages were chosen based on the nationalities of visitors who had already come to the area.

There's a reply coupon at the end of the brochure which invites its readers - in English - to Win a Fabulous Weekend for Two (that's 'Tu peux gagner un weekend chouette a deux', according to an Argus linguist) by filling in a tear-off questionnaire, pronounced 'kweschunair'.

Wags might also say that more would be returned if the coupon was in French, German, Spanish and Japanese - or even Welsh.

* Pictured are South East Wales Attractions Partnership members, from left, Clare Birt of Market Flair, Helen Gibbons of Cwmcarn Forest Drive, Claire Hamer of Cardiff Castle, and Sarah Vining Smith of Valleys Arts Marketing.