Date Created: 26 January 2012
Key recommendations for ensuring the continued success and growth of Edinburgh’s tourism sector have been announced.
Details of the ambitious Edinburgh 2020 Edinburgh Tourism Strategy were disclosed at the seventh annual Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) conference by The Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP.
"Edinburgh now has a rich, diverse year-round industry"
The strategy is a result of extensive research and over 150 individual consultations with tourism related businesses and sets out a clear vision and targets for the industry to achieve by 2020.
Chair of ETAG, Robin Worsnop said: “The past 20 years have seen a remarkable transformation in the scale and nature of Edinburgh’s tourism industry and its impact on the economic, social and cultural life of the city.
"Once a highly seasonal destination, dominated by leisure tourism, Edinburgh now has a rich, diverse year-round industry, with a very strong, high yield conference and meetings sector. Tourism-related employment has gone up from 12,000 in 1989 to 32,000 now.
“Edinburgh 2020 is about maintaining the momentum of growth for the next ten years and beyond. It will act as a catalyst for partnership and collaboration across the industry and build the case for, and prioritise investment in, the tourism product. The strategy will support the creation of 6500 new full-time jobs in Edinburgh by 2020."
Three clear objectives to achieve by 2020
The Edinburgh Tourism Strategy sets out three clear objectives to achieve by 2020, supported by specific and measurable growth targets:
- Increase the number of visits by one third
- Increase the value of every visitors’ spend by 10%
- Reduce seasonality across the sector
"Stand the industry in good stead for the future"
Minister for Tourism, Fergus Ewing, said: "The strategy recognises that tourism brings many benefits, not just for Edinburgh but for the whole country. It is ambitious and has clear objectives which will stand the industry in good stead for the future.
"The launch was very timely as we start 2012 and go into the next few years of great opportunities for tourism. These include some of the biggest events in the world such as Olympics, the British Open which will be coming to Muirfield in 2013, the Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup, culminating with the Year of Homecoming in 2014."
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