Letter from VisitScotland Chairman
Dear Sir,
Selling Scotland isn’t just VisitScotland’s business, it’s everyone’s business. Tourism brings in £4 billion every year, that’s money which gets ploughed into your local community, your town’s hotels, your neighbouring B&B and your corner shop. We all have a part to play and I truly believe that as people who are proud to live in this beautiful country, we’re all up for the challenge. No-one said it would be easy – we’ve had everything from snow to volcanic ash in the space of a few months. But as someone who has worked in the industry for 30 years, I know that when you see a problem you try to turn it into an opportunity. VisitScotland is doing just that with its ‘My Scotland’ campaign; with the current uncertainty around ash clouds, striking airlines and rising costs for a foreign trip, there has never been a better time to explore what’s on your doorstep and connect with the landscape, culture and history of our country.
So we’re investing £5 million into four domestic campaigns which we expect to generate at least £100 million for the Scottish economy. We’ve listened and we’ve responded quickly; this campaign confronts the current challenges head-on and will include a regional focus over the next few weeks with businesses being asked to come forward with last-minute offers on available accommodation. Holidaying on home turf is a growing trend and one we’re seizing with both hands. Even those who have lived in Scotland their whole lives will find that there is still much to explore. Tourism is the sustainable bedrock of the Scottish economy and, working together, it’s our responsibility to sing Scotland’s praises not just to the rest of the world, but to those who live here. It’s time for a renewed domestic push to help get tourism growth back on track and, together with the rest of the industry, we can achieve exactly that. This is our chance to prove that there’s no place like home.
Mike Cantlay
Chairman, VisitScotland.
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