ITS creator, Rachel Lowe, was famously spurned on BBC2's Dragon's Den.

However, Destination the board game has gone on to become Hamley's biggest seller, with 15 different editions already on the shelves.

Now the game, which even has a Disney version, is coming to Southampton.

Destination Southampton, which is backed by the Daily Echo, is set to be launched later this year and local businesses are being invited to get involved.

By sponsoring the game, Southampton companies can secure their place on the board game, which will see players move round a map of the city with a playing piece shaped like a taxi, visiting well-known destinations and getting caught at traffic lights.

"It gives business the chance to be part of something permanent," said the Hampshire creator of the game, Rachel Lowe.

"In terms of marketing, it's pretty unique."

Rachel came up with the idea when she was working as a taxi driver in Portsmouth to support her young family.

"I was at a red light and thought: Red light - miss a turn' and it went on from there," she said.

She made a prototype game and sent it off to toy manufacturers but no one was interested, so she decided to develop the game herself.

Having won an Enterprise Challenge award, Rachel secured sponsorship from Portsmouth-based companies by offering them a place on the board to raise funds to produce the game.

She was filmed for Dragons' Den in September 2004 where she was given a pasting by the "dragons", who said she did not know her market, couldnot compete with Monopoly, didn't know her figures and didn't stand any chance of getting any press coverage.

That Christmas Destination London was Hamley's biggest-selling board game and Destination Portsmouth sold out within two and a half weeks.

The Destination games currently available include Paris, New York, Cardiff and South Africa.

l Any business can get involved from as little as £500. For more information contact Howard Watson at Leepeckgreenfield on 023 8076 9988 or via e-mail on Howard.Watson@lpgf.com.