Press release -

Delta-Virgin New York to Edinburgh route takes off

VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay welcomes the announcement by Delta and Virgin Atlantic Airways of a new direct flight from New York JFK to Edinburgh Airport.

The daily service will commence from 27 May 2016.

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland said:

“We are delighted that Delta has chosen to launch a direct service from New York to Edinburgh. The United States continues to be our biggest international market for inbound tourism but there is always room for growth. Direct route improvements over the last two years have helped boost visitor numbers and this new route will tap in to Delta’s vast North American network opening up even more opportunities for US visitors to come to Scotland.

“Connecting Scotland to major hubs in the US is key for growth and with this new route we now have all three major airline alliances serving Edinburgh and Scotland which will encourage visitors, including those members of airline loyalty schemes, to fly directly to the country.

“US visitors are drawn to Scotland for its awe-inspiring scenery, engrossing history and rich culture, while the enduring appeal of Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’ continues to generated huge interest amongst travellers.”

- ENDS -

More details on the route:

Launch: 27 May 2016

Rotation: Daily

Flight Times: Flight Departs Arrives
DL 488/VS 4026 NY-JFK at 8:15 p.m. Edinburgh at 8:40 a.m. (+ 1 day)
DL 4879/VS 4027 Edinburgh at 10:30 a.m. NY-JFK at 1:01 p.m.

Further information can be found at:

http://news.delta.com/delta-virgin-offer-new-routes-across-atlantic

Topics

  • Tourism

Categories

  • delta airlines
  • new york
  • edinburgh airport
  • international marketing
  • corporate communications

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:
      1. 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
      2. 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
      3. 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
      4. Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
      5. 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
      6. Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
      7. 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.
    • According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism      economy 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 events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com


    Year of Food and Drink 2015

    • 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
    • Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
    • A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
    • For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland

Contacts

Hamish Hutchinson

Corporate Press Officer - National Contact for media enquiries on: Business Events/Tourism; Film Tourism; Outer Hebrides 0131 472 2283

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