Press release -
Get your skis on!
With record levels of snow across all of Scotland’s snowsport resorts, and fresh motivation to get involved in ski and snowboarding activities fuelled by the Winter Olympic Games, the country is bracing itself for a significant piste of the action with predictions of an extra-long Scottish winter sports season.
All five of Scotland’s mountain ski resorts – CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, Nevis Range and The Lecht – have been reporting excellent conditions and unprecedented piste depths following recent dumps of snow and Ski-Scotland is predicting that the season for Scottish snowsports could well continue into May and beyond this year.
Snowsports form a significant part of Scotland’s winter tourism economy: for each £1 spent at a ski area, a further £4 is spent ‘off the hill’ in local businesses such as accommodation, places to eat and drink, shops, filling stations and so on.
Using current data, the excellent 2012-13 season was worth more than £29.27 million to the Scottish economy. Of this, only £5.85m was spent at the ski areas themselves.
As the buzz of the Winter Olympics in Russia gripped the country, Scotland boasted better snowsport conditions than Sochi itself. Chair of Ski-Scotland, Heather Negus said: “Our ski resorts have amazing snow which was enjoyed by thousands of people during the Scottish and English school mid-term breaks. Now, with quieter lifts and pistes, is the ideal time for families and people of all ages to give skiing or snowboarding a try – with a qualified instructor, you can be sliding and enjoying healthy, fresh air fun in no time.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, commented: “Our visitor research tells us that one in five people are motivated and inspired by what they see on TV or at the cinema. With the fantastic coverage of the Winter Olympics hitting our screens, we are sure many people are just itching to get outside and give it a go!
“The current snow conditions at all the Scottish mountain resorts provide everyone with a phenomenal opportunity to try a new activity or take up sport they have enjoyed in the past.”
All five mountain ski resorts are within easy reach of Scotland’s towns and cities, almost literally on most people’s doorsteps. All offer a safe way to have fun in the mountains, on patrolled, carefully-groomed pistes.
It is always best to check weather, snow and road conditions before leaving, and when you stop en route, on the official website www.ski-scotland.com . Anyone heading off-piste or ski touring should check the avalanche riskwww.sais.gov.uk/
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Mon - Wed: Kim Walton, Corporate Press Officer North, VisitScotland
Tel: (01224) 269187 or 07805 802508
Email: kim.walton@visitscotland.com
Wed - Fri: Lorna MacLennan, Corporate Press Officer North, VisitScotland
Tel: (01463) 252432 Mobile: 07785 515469
Email: lorna.maclennan@visitscotland.com
Ski-Scotland: Elma McMenemy (01569) 750700 or 07836 371972 elma@tourism.force9.co.uk
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- uk & ireland marketing
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
