Press release -
Scotland the Friendly
Scotland has been voted one of the friendliest countries in the world by readers of online travel magazine Rough Guides.
In a year that has seen Scotland welcome the world with the hosting of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Homecoming and, just last month, The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, the country is the only European nation to appear in the top ten.
It was voted the ninth friendliest country in the world thanks to votes made on the Rough Guides website and via Twitter.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said it was no surprise that Scotland had figured so highly.
He said: “I am delighted that readers of Rough Guides have voted Scotland as one of the friendliest countries in the world. We are famed for the warmth of our welcome and this is a true testimony to that. The successful staging of The Ryder Cup, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Homecoming Scotland 2014 has helped to make this a momentous year for Scottish tourism and over and over again, everyone from visitors to athletes; media broadcasters to distinguished VIPs has commented on our kind, openhearted people.
“2014 has taken Scotland’s profile and reputation to great heights and we are determined to make the most of this for the future. As we head into the 2015 Year of Food and Drink and beyond, we will look to develop and build on all we have achieved and I have no doubt that that warm Scottish welcome on which we pride ourselves will continue to get bigger and bolder!”
According to a VisitScotland Visitor survey, 80 per cent of visitors agreed that they were made to feel welcome by locals.
The top-ten Friendliest Countries in the World (Rough Guides):
1. Cambodia
2. The Philippines
3. Laos
4. Nepal
5. Thailand
6. Myanmar (Burma)
7. Indonesia
8. Fiji
9. Scotland
10. Sri Lanka
http://www.roughguides.com/gallery/the-friendliest-countries-in-the-world-as-chosen-by-you/#/6
ENDS
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
