Tourism Targets - Twinning Cities is the Answer

There's news today that West Lothian is planning to twin with the city of Grapevine in Texas. Local Scottish opposition to the scheme claim that it's just a ruse to justify a "junket" trip to the US last year. However, the twinning will put in place for business link-ups and exchange visits, expected to start next year with a visit to Scotland by a delegation of Texan officials.

Now I've been to Grapevine, it's just north of the huge DFW airport complex and you'd be forgiven for knowing where the city starts and ends, it all seems to be part of Dallas - Fort Worth conurbation. However, perhaps they're onto something. If every place in Britain was twinned with a town, city or village in every country in the world the tourists could just shuttle between the twinned places on visits. It would negate the need for VisitScotland and make life oh so simple.