Press release -
From Bali to V&A Dundee!
In order to inspire tour operators from across the world to come to Scotland, the national tourism organisation is instantly transporting people from Bali to Dundee.
Armed with the latest virtual reality headset, VisitScotland is showing tour operators from 19 different countries within Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa why V&A Museum of Design Dundee, when it opens, will be the place to be.
As part of Destination Britain APMEA 2015, VisitBritain’s international B2B workshop in Bali, which takes place 11 – 14 May, scale models of the iconic Kelpies and Glasgow School of Art will also be used to show off Scotland as an unbeatable destination for leisure and business tourism.
The augmented reality headset, recently showcased at VisitScotland expo 2015, is the latest in innovative tourism technology and the national tourism organisation believes such equipment could change the future of tourism promotion.
A prototype of a collaboration between V&A Dundee and Dundee Waterfront with Luma Interactive 3D Ltd, the headset is designed to give a sneak preview of how the city’s riverside will look in 2018 – allowing people to experience what it will feel like to stand in front of the upcoming world-class attraction or in the middle of the city’s new civic space.
Ahead of the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, VisitScotland is using the trio of creative icons to impress and introduce Scotland’s pioneering past and present.
The event provides tourism suppliers from across Great Britain and Ireland with a unique opportunity to conduct business meetings with up to 120 international travel buyers.
Scottish suppliers in attendance include Historic Scotland, Highland Experience Tours, Gretna Green and Spires Apartments.
Alongside several pre-scheduled and one-to-one meetings with key contacts, the national tourism organisation is also co-sponsoring a Scotland themed evening with Etihad Airways. This event will not only promote the new non-stop daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Edinburgh, due to launch on June 8, but also spread the word about the Year of Food and Drink and the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.
VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said:
“Last year we welcomed the world, hosting major events and projecting Scotland into the limelight like never before. It’s now time to use that profile to our advantage and take our country to the world, utilising a wide variety of channels, such as attending key events like Destination Britain APMEA 2015, to make sure we maximise the economic impact of tourism on Scotland’s economy.
“Scotland continues to punch above its weight in attracting visitors from both our international and domestic markets, and in order to continue to do so, we must keep taking Scotland to the world. From Scotland Week in North America, to Destination Britain APMEA 2015, we’re getting out there, developing and winning world-class events, attracting key airlines and showing the world why they must come to Scotland.”
V&A Dundee Director Philip Long said:
“V&A Museum of Design Dundee will present Scotland's design heritage and future creativity to visitors from around the world as well as hosting a dynamic programme of international exhibitions.
“Given Scotland’s strengths in digital design innovation it made sense to us to work with a pioneering developer to create a completely immersive experience that brings to life the truly world-class quality of our building set in Dundee’s stunning waterfront location.”
Destination Britain APMEA 2015 takes place from 11 – 14 May 2015. For more information, visit http://www.dbapmea.com/
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- 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 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.
- 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 tourism 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
