Press release -
Inverness welcomes Dublin's high-fliers
A VisitScotland campaign in partnership with Flybe, Highlands and Islands Airport and Uniqueness to encourage trips to the Highlands through promotion of a Dublin-Inverness flight route has already proved a success with consumers.
The campaign, which has targeted the Republic of Ireland, in particular Dublin and its surrounding area, has already resulted in over 50,000 unique page views to webpages promoting the area and route since its launch last month.
It is aimed at busy city dwellers, aged 25-55 years, who are interested in city breaks, shopping, arts and culture, events, food and drink and who may also have family links to Scotland.
The Flybe daily direct route from Dublin to Inverness was launched late last year and is the first of its kind in over five years. The joint campaign promotes the idea that Inverness is easily accessible to Dubliners looking for a city break at just over an hour away, and is also affordable, with prices starting at €48 one-way.
VisitScotland Regional Partnerships Director Scott Armstrong said:
“The daily direct flights from Dublin into Inverness enhance the opportunities for fast and easy travel from the Republic of Ireland for business trips, leisure tourism and short breaks in the Highlands.
“This campaign highlights the importance of such routes to the continued success of Scottish tourism and I am delighted to hear it has been so successful.
“We look forward to welcoming more visitors during 2015, Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink and with Dublin being just an hour away from Inverness, visitors travelling from there are even closer than many Scots!”
Graeme Bell, General Manager of Inverness Airport, said:
“The Irish inbound market is particularly lucrative, worth £29 million to the Scottish economy according to the latest figures. With a daily flight between Dublin and Inverness, we have a fantastic opportunity to promote Inverness and the Highlands to the Irish market. Inverness and the wider region is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland, boasts superb food and drink and enjoys a reputation for its warm hospitality. We look forward to welcoming our Irish friends to Scotland.”
Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and many iconic Highland tourist attractions are within short driving distance of Inverness, including Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness and Culloden. From sea to summit, the Highlands have captured the imaginations of generations of travellers. The area boasts dramatic mountains, tranquil lochs and fascinating history and Inverness Airport itself is just a 15-minute drive from the city centre.
Visitors can experience Highland hospitality in Inverness with lunch by the river and an evening’s live music; or can take a boat trip on Loch Ness and look out for Nessie; step back in time at Culloden and Fort George in the 300th year since the Jacobite uprising; visit the breathtaking Urquhart Castle; take a drive through Glen Affric or sample a dram at a distillery – Tomatin and Glen Ord are both worth a visit.
The campaign uses digital and social media, and an online competition offers the chance to win a brilliant break to the Highlands.
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.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy 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
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
