Press release -
London Calling
VisitScotland is being joined by the highest number of businesses in a decade at the leading global event for the travel industry in London today (5 November).
The national tourism organisation’s stand at the World Travel Market includes, for the first time, V&A Dundee which is celebrating its successful opening less than two months ago.
Scotland’s first design museum has welcomed over 200,000 people through its doors since opening on 15 September, with visitors seeing Kengo Kuma’s architecture, permanent galleries on Scottish design and the major exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed and Style.
Taking place at ExCel London from 5-7 November, more than 51,000 industry professionals are expected to attend WTM 2018. The event allows the tourism body and its industry partners to show travel trade professionals from around the globe exactly what the country has to offer.
First time exhibitors include: David Urquhart Travel, Moray Speyside Tourism, Scotland’s Tay Country, Stirling Council, VisitFalkirk / Falkirk Council, London North Eastern Railways (LNER), and V&A Dundee. Moray Speyside Tourism is toasting the area’s most successful year in history at the event. In 2017, around 800,000 visitors travelled to the region, spending almost £130 million. Meanwhile, Rabbie’s Tours is marking its 25th anniversary at WTM. The Edinburgh-based business, which recently won the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award for the best multi-day tour in the world, will use World Travel Market to announce the launch of a new departure point in Aberdeen.
Diageo – Discovering Distilleries returns for the second time to the VisitScotland stand after it announced £150 million investment in Scotch whisky tourism throughout Scotland earlier this year. The whisky giant is also gearing up for an exciting 2019 with the Cragganmore Distillery in Banffshire celebrating its 150th anniversary and Clynelish Distillery in Sutherland turning 200.
VisitScotland is also getting ready to showcase the country’s hugely varied marine and coastal tourism offering ahead of the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020. As well as the stunning scenery on offer, the ways in which Scotland’s coast and waters have shaped our history from the Industrial Revolution to the fishing and whisky industries can also be explored at a range of visitor attractions and these themes will be celebrated throughout 2020, along with a programme of events.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “The World Travel Market is the leading global event for the travel industry and it is important that Scotland has a strong presence there so I am very pleased to have more partners than ever showcasing their businesses to an international audience at the VisitScotland stand.
“After a highly anticipated opening, V&A Dundee is helping to shine a global spotlight on the city and the surrounding Tay Country region. We are excited to see what the future holds for the attraction and the ripple effect which will undoubtedly be felt by the wider Scottish tourism industry.
“Partnership and collaboration is at the heart of Scottish tourism and we work closely with communities and businesses to develop the rich assets, hidden gems and local stories of every region in Scotland.”
Alice Kennedy, Tourism Officer at V&A Dundee, said: “We are delighted to be joining VisitScotland at the World Travel Market 2018 to continue promoting V&A Dundee as a major new international attraction.
“The visitor reaction since opening has been amazing, and we’re looking forward to welcoming people from all over the world in 2019 and beyond.”
Businesses on the VisitScotland stand include:
- Abellio ScotRail
- Cashel Travel DMC and Tour Operator
- David Urquhart Travel
- Diageo – Discovering Distilleries
- Flybe
- Highland Explorer Tours
- Historic Environment Scotland
- London North Eastern Railways (LNER)
- Moray Speyside Tourism
- Rabbie’s Tours
- Royal Highland Hotel Inverness & Mackintosh Hotel Glasgow
- Scotland’s Tay Country
- Spirit of Scotland Show
- Stirling Council
- Strathmore Hotels
- Timberbush Tours
- V&A Dundee
- VisitFalkirk / Falkirk Council
Topics
- Tourism
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 five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- 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 tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2018 Year of Young People
- A global first, YoYP 2018 is a part of the Scottish Government’s themed-year programme which focuses on celebrating Scotland’s greatest assets.
- A year-long programme of events and festivals are taking place across the whole of the country for all ages to enjoy, led by EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate. More information at www.visitscotland.com/yoyp2018
- Local authorities, schools, youth groups and organisations are running their own YoYP 2018 activity. Search #YOYP2018 on Twitter for the latest news.
- Young people co-designed the Year. A group of young leaders, Communic18, lead on all key decision making. More than 380 Ambassadors based are championing activity.
- The Year is delivered in partnership between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland - part of the VisitScotland Events Directorate, Young Scot, Scottish Youth Parliament, Children in Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Creative Scotland.
- More information can be found at yoyp2018.scot, searching @YOYP2018 #YOYP2018 on Twitter or by emailing yoyp2018@gov.scot
