Press release -
From Teacakes to Tourism: a Games’ plan for Scotland
Ahead of the closing ceremony for the XX Commonwealth Games tonight (Sun 3 August) at Hampden Park, Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland said:
“From the moment the larger than life dancing teacakes took to the stage in the opening ceremony, we knew the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was going to be an event to remember, but boy have our expectations been surpassed! This has been an unforgettable 11 days, from the outstanding achievements of Team Scotland to the unprecedented numbers of visitors and spectators keen to experience the energetic atmosphere of Scotland’s friendly city.
“The venues shone, the restaurants, bars and cafes excelled, the hotels, bed and breakfasts and campsites over-achieved – but it was the people who made the difference. The warmth of the Scottish welcome has played a starring role throughout this entire competition and will be a lasting memory of the Games. I want to personally thank the volunteers, industry and every single person involved for their time, enthusiasm, dedication and sense of fun, it has been truly inspirational to watch and I’ve never been more proud of our country.
“The Games has presented a unique opportunity for Scottish tourism. This has been our chance to show over a billion people across the world the iconic pillars of Scotland –our people, our cities, our landscapes, our history, our culture and our world-class venues. If even a fraction of that audience is inspired to visit, it will provide a great future boost to our economy.
“The curtains may be closing on the XX Commonwealth Games, but the show is far from over! Thousands are heading to the Capital to enjoy the famous Edinburgh Festivals, while next month, we will welcome the world once more, this time at Gleneagles, for the Ryder Cup. Finally, the year-long celebration of Homecoming continues with almost 300 more events still to be held across the entire country. This really is the year to be in Scotland.”
ENDS
For further information contact:
Louise Purves Corporate Press Officer Tel: 0131 472 2052 Louise.purves@visitscotland.com Out of hours media enquiries: 07699 766986 |
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- glasgow 2014 commonwealth games
- 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.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry 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.
- 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
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
