Date :
07/03/2015
Scotland’s tourism industry is one of the largest contributors to the country’s economy, with almost every profession having some form of involvement in the nation’s £11billion worth of tourism brought in by visitors.
The Chairman of VisitScotland, Mike Cantlay, offers an insight into how every profession has a part to play in Scottish tourism and how this contributes towards the country’s prospering economy. Mr Cantlay explains:
“When we talk about tourism, we think of visitor attractions, hotels and restaurants. But the National Tourism Development Framework showed – in no uncertain terms – that there is so much more to the industry than that”.
The National Tourism Development Framework, which was launched in 2013, supports the delivery of ‘Tourism Scotland 2020’ with a primary focus of helping to promote improvements as part of the visitor experience.
Last year, Scotland experienced one of its best years for tourism on record by hosting events such as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Both of these sporting events brought millions of visitors to the nation from across the globe, giving them a memorable experience and significantly boosting the country’s tourism.
Events like the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup not only increased revenue but also created thousands of jobs to cope with the extra visitor demand. Commenting on the extra jobs created, Mr Cantlay said:
“Tourism is the driving force for providing the jobs of today and tomorrow, sustaining communities and providing an international shop window for Scotland.
“It is the leading way in economic transformation, with every £50,000 spent by visitors creating a new job in Scotland. The tax revenue tourism creates is a core supporter of our public services”.
For great advice on understanding the tourism market, check out Tourism Intelligence Scotland’s Knowing Our Markets Intelligence Guide to unlock your business’s potential.