Press release -
Links are well-plaid!
VisitScotland has gifted the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) with a unique tartan to signify Scotland’s proud links with the organisation.
To commemorate the centenary year of the PGA of America, the national tourism organisation and Scottish Development International presented the golfing body with a one-of-a-kind tartan weave at the PGA Show 2016 in Orlando, Florida last Thursday (28 January).
The PGA of America Centennial Tartan has been exclusively created to mark 100 years since the inception of the organisation and honours the role Scottish-born professional golfers played in its formation.
Tartan has become an internationally-acclaimed style icon and the development of the PGA of America Tartan represents a significant new design landmark during the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.
The tartan was the brainchild of Matt Clark, owner of Scottish golf business, Bridge Golf Scotland, and was created by renowned textile manufacturers, Lochcarron of Scotland. The colours were carefully chosen to represent those of the PGA of America as well as Scotland’s Saltire flag and the iconic Stars and Stripes banner of the United States.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said:
“We were honoured to present this new tartan at the PGA Show in Orlando, celebrating the proud association Scotland, the Home of Golf, has with the PGA of America.
“With this being the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design it was fitting that we gifted a specially designed piece of tartan, commemorating the centennial year of an incredible golfing institute in our own unique style.
“We look forward to continuing our fantastic relationship with the PGA in the future. I’m sure we will see many familiar faces at some of Scotland’s major golfing events later this year, including The Open at Royal Troon.”
PGA of America, Honorary President Allen Wronowski said:
“It is with a great deal of honour that the PGA of America accepts the beautiful Scottish tartan, symbolic of the bond that the PGA of America shares with the Home of Golf.
“Scottish blood was a part of our Association’s founding a century ago and our shared passion and pride for growing the game has never been stronger.”
Graeme White, head of tourism at Scottish Enterprise said:
"Scottish tartan is known the world over for its iconic fashion, quality and heritage. But it is also an important commercial product of Scotland.
“This new tartan, while welcoming the PGA of America into our global family, also offers Scottish businesses and manufacturers exciting national and international trade opportunities, which we look forward to supporting."
The tartan cloth marks will now be made available to all PGA of America members as well as offering commercial opportunities for Scottish businesses and manufacturers.
The tartan was gifted to the PGA of America at the Scotland, the Home of Golf stand at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. The show represents the biggest gathering of golf industry professionals on the planet with more than 1000 golf businesses and 40,000 golf industry professionals attending. Scotland’s presence at the show is supported by VisitScotland and Scottish Development International and includes businesses from across the golf tourism and manufacturing industries in Scotland.
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- sportstourism
- eventscotland
- year of innovation architecture and design
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’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
- Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
- Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
- Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
- Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
- Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
- Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
- Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
- 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.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
- 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 events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016 - 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design begins on 1 January 2016 and ends on 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the current 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
- Join the conversation at #IAD2016
- Events can join the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Partner Programme throughout the year by visiting http://www.eventscotland.org/YIAD_partner_programme
