Tourism Tinkering with the Targets
VisitScotland’s latest attempt to prove their worth is as an empty a plan as they’ve ever conceived. In a speech today to the Scottish Tourism Forum in Dundee, according to the Scotsman Philip Ripple the organization’s Head will describe a plan to attract higher-spending tourists to Scotland that will (hopefully) see one in ten visitors spending an extra £250 during their holiday by 2015.
According to the Riddle ‘encouraging tourists to stay longer or visit more attractions will be among the most important ways of growing Scottish tourism by 50 per cent over the next eight years. A key part of his plan is to generate an extra £9 per visitor per day by "cross-selling" techniques such as serving locally sourced food in restaurants or selling local crafts in cafes. VisitScotland also believes the industry can make 12 per cent extra by filling more hotel beds during the low season from November to May.
"There is no reason why we can't aspire to the success of countries like Switzerland in realizing high returns from the delivery of high quality. VisitScotland also hopes to make more money from business tourists who come to Scotland for conferences.
This is the latest smoke and mirrors scam from the redundant and moribund VisitScotland who try to blind us all with targets and figures. The fact is that this is not a measurable target and because they are falling way short of where they need to be on actual visitor numbers this is their attempt at fudging the figures. They are a discredited organization that needs to address the fundamentals not tinker with the targets.
4 comments:
aspire to the success of countries like Switzerland
Terminology like this is always a danger signal.
You have reminded me that I have promised my mother a trip to Scotland. Everybody should visit Scotland at least once in their lives.
Ellee, what a wise mother, Scotland has fabulous scenery, fabulous history and fabulous people, a large percentage of whom had to leave Scotland to return and rediscover this. Ah! c'est la vie as the other half of the 'Auld Alliance' would say.
I wonder how much Scotland targets the United States with its advertising for tourism. There are literally hundreds of thousands (possibly millions?) of Americans with Scottish ancestry that would come visit if they knew more about it.
Though part of my family comes from the industrial area of Kilmarnock (the Gemmills), I have always yearned to see the more pristine, rural Scotland. For Americans, it is a land of magic, mystery, and great beauty.
Post a Comment