Press release -
THE HOME STRAIGHT
With under two weeks to go until the Hogmanay launch of Homecoming Scotland 2014, VisitScotland has today revealed that the number of events has broken the 2009 Homecoming record, boasting some 430 events across Scotland in 2014….and counting.
From piano Sundays to hot air balloon fun days, the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme has more than tripled with small and large scale events since its launch in March 2013, with 74 funded events and 356 partnership events in total.
The new total smashes the Homecoming Scotland 2009 events programme which saw 411 events take place across the country.
The list of funded and partnership events were announced today as the national tourism organisation counts down the days until 2014, the year of Brilliant Moments when Scotland welcomes the world.
Newly confirmed funded events include the MTV Europe Music Awards, Howlin’ Fling, Electric Glen, Tartan Day 2014, the Strathaven Balloon Festival, Seasoned to Taste and Race the Castles Orienteering event.
Newly announced partnership events include Perth Piano Sundays, MonsterFest, Turnberry Beach Rugby, the World Stone Skimming Championships and the Orkney Science Festival. The Partnership Programme is still open for entries where events throughout Scotland can take advantage of marketing in kind by aligning themselves with the Homecoming 2014 brand.
The Homecoming Scotland 2014 events fund of £3m will provide a stunning year-round programme of activity to complement the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games. It is backed by a £1.75m marketing campaign by VisitScotland which will promote Homecoming 2014 at home and abroad.
The Homecoming Scotland events programme covers the length and breadth of Scotland and runs from Hogmanay 2013 to Hogmanay 2014. Each events falls into one of the five themes of Active, Creative, Ancestral, Natural, and Food & Drink.
Fergus Ewing, Tourism Minister, said: “Scotland is a modern, dynamic nation with a rich heritage, a global reach and confident of our place in the world. People from across the globe with an affinity to Scotland, as well as those without, are invited to join the celebration in 2014 when Scotland welcomes the world.
“The Year of Homecoming 2014 will extend the benefits and opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup.
“Our culture programme will be an inspiring showcase of the best of Scotland that reinforces our international image as a land of creativity and innovation. 2014 will create a lasting legacy for the visitor economy so that Scotland will benefit for many years to come.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland said: “Our Homecoming Scotland 2014 team has been working very hard to ensure we have an absolutely stunning programme of events for what is set to be a spectacular year for Scotland.
“There is something for everyone within the programme from music to sport to balloons! We can’t wait to get started, welcoming the world in 2014 for a remarkable celebration of our country’s magnificent culture, heritage, sport and, of course, sense of fun!
For further information contact:
Kate Turnbull Corporate Press Manager on 0131 472 2324 or Tom Maxwell, Corporate Press Officer, on 0131 472 2409
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.
- 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
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
