Press release -
Homecoming boost for Hebridean Hopscotch
A tour company which organises holiday packages for visitors to the Outer Hebrides has seen its bookings rise by over a quarter (26%) this year after tying in with Homecoming Scotland 2014.
Hebridean Hopscotch, based in James Street, Stornoway, arranges trips tailored to guests’ specific needs and requirements. The company aligned itself with Homecoming Scotland 2014 to capitalise on this unique year for Scottish tourism.
After hearing about the opportunity to use Homecoming Scotland branding through the Outer Hebrides local marketing meetings, the travel company saw the benefits of tapping into the marketing potential of Homecoming Scotland 2014 by adding the Homecoming logo to their website and e-newsletters.
Maryann MacIver, Business Manager at Hebridean Hopscotch Holidays, said:
“Our bookings are up 26% on last year and using the Homecoming branding and associating our service with Homecoming Scotland 2014 has offered Hebridean Hopscotch additional marketing exposure.
“We have tried to tie holiday experiences into Homecoming events taking place in the Outer Hebrides, such as Hebtember and the Harris Tweed Hebrides Tattoo, so that people coming for events can gain added value for their holiday.
“Our bookings this year are already more than any previous year, so we believe that the increased awareness through the Homecoming campaign has been one reason for the increase.”
The company is now also offering end-to-end cycling island hopping holidays. They provide panniers, helmets and everything required to enjoy the views and wildlife of the islands at a slower pace. Cycling through eight different islands, Maryann and her team organise the trip, using distances to suit any cycling abilities.
Hebridean Hopscotch offers a unique holiday experience for visitors to the islands, as advisors know from first-hand experience what is available and what to see and do throughout the year. They know when the machair flowers and when a cuckoo calls, because they see and hear everything that happens around them. Local knowledge comes into play when bookings are being made as the company’s expert advisors live and work in the Outer Hebrides. The Homecoming branding is seen as an additional tool to market this experience and attaches the brand to a wider theme.
The Outer Hebrides has gained a lot of attention in the year of Homecoming Scotland 2014 after being named the top island destination both in the UK and European countries by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site. Linking into wider themes like Homecoming 2014 offers businesses like Hebridean Hopscotch the chance to benefit from all this great exposure.
Alan Mackenzie, VisitScotland Islands Manager, said:
“Aligning with Homecoming Scotland 2014 and its associated events has clearly benefited Hebridean Hopscotch’s booking numbers this year, which is terrific.
“In the year that Scotland has welcomed the world, with a line-up of truly global events, including the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup and, of course the ongoing Homecoming Scotland 2014, this innovative approach shows how everyone can get on board and capitalise on such a momentous 12 months for Scotland.”
With over 1,000 events, Homecoming Scotland 2014 provides a stunning year-round programme of activity, events and festivals, to complement The Ryder Cup and Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It is backed by a £1.75m marketing campaign by VisitScotland, which will promote Homecoming 2014 at home and abroad.
Maryann MacIver, Hebridean Hopscotch Business Manager, and Alisdair Glover, Bike Maintenance Manager, are pictured checking out the new bikes for their Island Hopping Cycling Holidays.
For more information, visit www.hebrideanhopscotch.com
For more information on Homecoming, visit www.homecomingscotland.com
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- homecoming 2014
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.
- 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
