New pub partnership to bring tourism boost
A new partnership is placing Scotland’s pubs and bars at the
heart of the tourism industry. The news comes as a survey shows
that tourism is crucial to this sector, with pubs saying that
visitors make up around a third of their customers*.
VisitScotland and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA)
have joined forces to drive up standards and encourage even more
visitors to enjoy Scotland’s pubs and bars. The announcement comes
during Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, a year long celebration
of Scotland’s fantastic food and drink producers, providers and
experiences.
With research showing that 75 per cent of international visitors
and 61 per cent of UK visitors eat in pubs**, visitors will now be
able to find out about more pubs and bars around Scotland thanks to
the partnership. SLTA members will be listed on
www.scotlandsbestbars.com, a new area on VisitScotland’s food and
drink website. Other elements of the partnership include
consideration of a new category for pubs and bars in
VisitScotland’s annual Scottish Thistle Awards.
Today also sees the launch of Best Bars, a new quality scheme
designed to highlight and promote good bars, pubs and inns across
Scotland. The scheme, which has been developed in partnership with
the industry including several SLTA members, sees bars being
assessed through an incognito visit by one of VisitScotland’s
Quality Advisors. The assessment will look at factors from ambience
and service to how the business encourages responsible
drinking.
One of the first 20 businesses to join the scheme is Edinburgh’s
Tigerlily, which hosted a launch event attended by Rural Affairs
Secretary Richard Lochhead. He said: “Scotland’s licensed trade
plays a crucial part of our tourism offering. Tourism brings a
revenue of £4 billion and supports 200,000 jobs. One pound in every
£5 spent by a visitor in Scotland is on food and drink related
activities, therefore, it makes sense that the two industries work
closely together.
“I recently announced the Scotch Whisky Experience as winner of
our Heart of the Experience award. This accolade recognises and
rewards attractions that demonstrate food and drink served to
guests is key to the visitor experience.
“The Best Bar scheme launched today is designed to reward
businesses that embrace responsible drinking and create a
hospitable atmosphere; quality is paramount and the new Best Bars
scheme will help to give visitors reassurance that they will
receive a warm Scottish welcome.”
Paul Waterson Chief Executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade
Association said: “The latest research shows that Scotland’s bars
and pubs have a vital role to play in the continuing success of
tourism in Scotland. Tourists from both the UK and overseas like
what SLTA members have on offer. We have licensed premises to suit
all tastes from traditional pubs to theme bars, from family
friendly gastro pubs to style bars. Our outlets very often showcase
the best in Scottish food, locally brewed beers and of course
Scotch whisky and liqueurs. And what better place for tourists to
get information and meet people than in our pubs and bars.”
Angus Macdonald President of the SLTA said: “Our exciting new
partnership with VisitScotland will allow us to give more
information on our premises to existing and potential customers
from home and abroad, and the other initiatives announced today
will help us continue to improve and develop our licensed premises
throughout Scotland.”
Riddell Graham, VisitScotland’s Director of Partnerships said:
“Pubs and bars are very important for visitors. Locally sourced
food, knowledgeable staff and a focus on providing a friendly and
welcoming atmosphere all make a difference to a visitor’s
experience in Scotland. Already a fifth of the amount that visitors
spend in Scotland is on food and drink and there is real potential
for us to increase that. Our partnership with SLTA is a major step
towards driving up standards even further and encouraging more
visitors to enjoy our highest quality pubs and bars.”
SLTA has developed a new website - www.theslta.co.uk - which will
give more profile to its members and link to VisitScotland’s
websites.
Businesses who would like to find out more about joining the
Best Bars scheme or being listed on VisitScotland’s food and drink
website should go to http://eatscotland.visitscotland.com/about-eatscotland.html
Visitors who want to find out more about pubs in Scotland should
go to www.scotlandsbestbars.com
Ends
For further information/broadcast opportunities please
contact.
Donna Black
Corporate Press Manager
VisitScotland
Tel: 0131 472 2219
Mob: 07770 728367
Email: donna.black@visitscotland.com
Clare Damodaran
Corporate Press Officer
VisitScotland
Tel: 0131 472 2214
Mob: 07920 535916
Email: clare.damodaran@visitscotland.com
Members of Best Bars scheme
Clachnaharry Inn, Inverness
The Royal Arch Bar,Broughty Ferry, Dundee
Phoenix Bar, Edinburgh
The Mercat Bar & Restaurant, Edinburgh
WHISKI Bar & Restaurant, Edinburgh
The Left Bank, Glasgow
The Two Figs, Glasgow
Heathmount Hotel, Restaurant, Lounge Bar & Bar,
Inverness
The Birds and the Bees, Stirling
Tigerlily, Edinburgh
Halfway House, Edinburgh
The Cumberland Bar, Edinburgh
The Speedwell Bar, Dundee
WEST, Glasgow
Benleva Hotel, Drumnadrochit, Inverness
Merchant Bar at Bosville Hotel, Isle of Skye
The Lade Inn, Callander
Johnny Foxes, Inverness
Bennets Bar, Morningside, Edinburgh
Atholl Hotel, Aberdeen
*An on-line survey with 67 SLTA members found that over 30% also
said their customers were a mix of visitors from rest of Scotland,
UK or abroad.
** Visitor Experience Survey 2008, www.visitscotland.org
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 over 1,000 people and has offices and
tourist information centres across Scotland.
- Tourism employs 200,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse
businesses. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to
Scotland. A recent report by Deloitte valued the Scottish tourim
industry at £11 billion annually. Tourism supports around 9 per
cent of employment in Scotland
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx for
tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org
- 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
