Loch Ness group targets monster growth with VisitScotland
award
A Highlands tourism partnership has been
awarded more than £17,000 by VisitScotland to help promote Loch
Ness as the perfect place to take a short break.
Destination Loch Ness - a destination
organisation comprising 110 local businesses, from B&Bs and
hotels to visitor attractions and cruise operators - will use part
of the grant to further develop its online activity, targeting
visitors from England and Central Scotland with social media such
as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.
The £34,600 marketing campaign includes a
£17,300 contribution from the VisitScotland Growth Fund.
The announcement was made by Tourism Minister
Fergus Ewing during the Convention of the Highlands and Islands at
Boat of Garten today.
Mr Ewing said: “The Scottish Government and
VisitScotland are working hard domestically and internationally to
position Scotland as a first class destination for both business
and leisure tourism.
“Loch Ness is one of Scotland’s most revered
and globally recognised attractions. Destination Loch Ness is a not
for profit organisation that aims to capitalise on the area’s
outstanding natural beauty, culture and heritage for the benefit of
the area’s tourism, local businesses and communities.”
“Tourism makes a substantial contribution to
Scotland’s economy and in the first six months of this year, we
have seen a six per cent increase in domestic visitors to Scotland,
compared to the same period in 2010, and a 13 per cent increase in
their expenditure.
“The VisitScotland Growth Fund is helping
organisations, like Destination Loch Ness, accelerate economic
growth in our tourism industry by reaching new target markets,
increasing visitor numbers and creating an environment for visitors
to do more, spend more and stay longer.”
Graeme Ambrose, Executive Director of
Destination Loch Ness, said: “When Destination Loch Ness sought to
rebrand Loch Ness in 2006, it was about acknowledging the
importance of the monster to the success of our tourism industry
but also about conveying to visitors that the area has much more to
offer - a landscape, wildlife and heritage as rich and deep as
anywhere else in Scotland as well as being a great area for outdoor
activities. This VisitScotland Growth Fund award will help us to
make the best use of social media and bring more visitors to enjoy
a short break by Loch Ness.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said:
“Loch Ness is an iconic region the world over, not just for its
most famous resident, but for its serene beauty and relaxing
atmosphere. Destination Loch Ness does a marvelous job of promoting
this region and I am sure that its new marketing campaign, with
help from the VisitScotland Growth Fund, will encourage many more
people to come and appreciate the splendour of Loch
Ness.”
The VisitScotland Growth Fund allows
collaborating tourism businesses to apply for up to £65,000 of
funding over the next three years to help market their product to
its maximum potential.
It builds on the success of the European
Union-supported VisitScotland Growth Fund which distributed £1
million to tourism marketing groups in Scotland between 2008 and
2011.
The VisitScotland Growth Fund is open to
Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) and industry marketing
groups. It can support groups with up to 50 per cent (from
£5,000 to £65,000) of their marketing costs to develop and deliver
new marketing activity, to help them reach new target markets,
increase visitor numbers and create an environment for visitors to
do more, spend more and stay longer.
ENDS
For further information
contact:
Notes to Editors
- 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.
- Tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse
businesses. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to
Scotland. The industry generates
£11 billion revenue annually (including day visits). Tourism
supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland
- 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.visitscotlandannualreview.com
