Press release -
Lonely Planet picks Dundee for Best in Europe 2018 list
Dundee has cemented its reputation as one of Scotland’s tourism hot spots.
Travel authority, Lonely Planet has today (22 May) revealed that Scotland’s fourth largest city, has been picked as one of its top European destination for 2018, the only UK city to make the list.
Praised for its ‘growing cultural scene and the exciting transformation of the city’s historic waterfront’, the Lonely Planet accolade follows similar recommendations from prestigious outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and the Guardian.
The opening of V&A Dundee in September, combined with a number of other high-profile redevelopments, is set to propel the East of Scotland into the global spotlight.
In response to Dundee’s addition to the Lonely Planet Best in Europe 2018 line-up, Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a deserved accolade for Dundee, and further evidence of the city’s growing reputation as a top tourist destination. The Open Championship at Carnoustie, and the opening of the V&A – which is backed by Scottish Government funding - make 2018 a big year for tourism in Dundee and the wider Angus area.
“I know that everyone associated with the local tourism industry is working hard to make the most of these opportunities, and to make sure all visitors from around the world get a typically warm Dundee welcome.”
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “It’s great that through its Best in Europe list Lonely Planet is highlighting exciting destinations that visitors may not have thought to explore.
“With the arrival of V&A Dundee, the city is fast becoming the star of the Scottish travel scene and thanks to accolades like this one, more and more people will discover what we have known for some time, that Dundee is a must-visit destination.
“We need to create world class experiences, events and attractions to keep up with ever-changing visitor demands. The city represents the very best of modern Scotland. It is home to welcoming people, a thriving creative scene, exciting new businesses and a diverse range of fascinating attractions. This is an exciting new chapter for tourism in Dundee, the excitement is palpable and the tourism industry is working hard to capitalise on this unmissable opportunity. Now is Dundee’s time to shine. Now is the time for the world to discover Dundee.”
Councillor John Alexander, Leader of Dundee City Council said: “Being on Lonely Planet’s definitive list of 10 places in Europe that people should visit in the next 12 months is a tremendous badge of honour and is fitting recognition of the work that so many people have put in over so many years to get us to where we are now.
“Partnerships between public, private and third sector agencies and joint working in teams combining art, science and balance sheets has been a hallmark of putting Dundee well and truly on the destination map.
“We are just over half way through a 30 year masterplan to completely transform the waterfront and re-connect the Tay with the heart of the city. Development land is already being earmarked for hotels, residential, retail and leisure uses by some of the world’s top brands including AC by Marriott.
“We’re a thriving cruise ship destination, a hub for creative industries, media and life sciences and a UNESCO City of Design that is committed to fairness and social justice. Dundee is determined to succeed and our ambitions for the city and its people are sky-high.”
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “Everyone working on V&A Dundee is absolutely delighted that our city has been featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe list, alongside such other remarkable travel locations. It’s great recognition of what we’ve known for years – Dundee is a fast-changing, vibrant and exciting city for people to visit.
“Dundee has so much to offer visitors, even before V&A Dundee opens on Saturday 15 September, and the city is at the heart of a very beautiful region.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to V&A Dundee from all other the world when we open this September.”
For more information about Dundee’s tourism offering visit: www.visitscotland.com/blog/dundee-angus/lonely-planet-best-in-europe-2018/
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
- The Year of Young People 2018 will be the next of the Scottish Government’s series of themed years, following the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- oParticipation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- oEducation – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- oHealth and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- oEquality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- oEnterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- oCulture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
