VisitScotland Goes The Extra Mile with Revamped Welcome Scheme
EDINBURGH, Scotland, 2017-Mar-20 — /Travel PR News/ — A welcome scheme which aims to capitalise on Scotland’s popular touring routes, such as the North Coast 500 (NC500), has been officially relaunched by Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop.
VisitScotland’s revamped Classic Cars Welcome Scheme, which is open to businesses that go the extra mile to meet the needs of visitors who travel Scotland in classic, vintage or thoroughbred cars, was unveiled yesterday evening (Tuesday, 14 March) during a NC500 reception at the Scottish Parliament.
With an estimated 350 classic car clubs in the UK, and even more across Europe, the Classic Car Welcome Scheme is a valuable promotional tool for businesses that wish to expand into a potentially lucrative market.
The national tourism organisation has updated the scheme to include visitor attractions and garages for the first time with new criteria also now taking into account use of apps and the provision of Wi-Fi.
The scheme, first launched in 2006, recognises businesses that offer a warm welcome, safe parking, car cleaning facilities and basic maintenance equipment for visitors.
Businesses that take part are also knowledgeable on places to visit, local petrol stations and workshops facilities available en-route.
Fiona Hyslop MSPsaid:
“The North Coast 500, a 516-mile scenic route around the north coast of Scotland, has played an important role in promoting Scotland as a must-visit destination for classic vehicle enthusiasts.
“The Welcome Scheme is an excellent way to attract more classic car owners to Scotland, and demonstrates how a successful collaboration between the private and public sector can have a positive impact on our tourism industry.”
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said:
“Our Welcome Schemes, which complement our world-leading Quality Assurance scheme, act as drivers for investment in particular markets and raise awareness on ways to meet and exceed visitor expectation in a number of different areas.
“Scotland is an ideal destination for visitors with a passion for touring in classic vehicles – from beautiful scenery and great open roads to incredible attractions and a world-renowned welcome, there is no better place for the perfect road trip.
“The success of routes such as the NC500 and the popularity of Scotland as a must visit destination for touring car enthusiasts creates a real opportunity for businesses – we are sure the updated Classic Cars Welcome Scheme will help more capitalise of this opportunity.”
James Henderson, Chairman of the Hillman Imp Club, who helped relaunch the scheme, said:
“As chairman of the Imp Club and a lifelong classic car enthusiast I am very pleased and excited to hear of the new Classic Car Welcome scheme.
“I have had numerous holidays in Scotland with a Hillman Imp and have had great fun driving my classic car around the stunning Scottish roads. If you own a classic car and have not had the chance to take your pride and joy on holiday to Scotland you have missed out on some perfect classic car driving roads.
“The new Classic Car Welcome scheme is going to make that experience even better by helping to ensure that the security and running of your classic car is that much easier. I would like to thank VisitScotland for involving The Imp Club in the relaunch of this scheme.”
Tom Campbell, Managing Director of North Coast 500, said:
“The North Coast 500 has taken the North Highlands to global visibility since the official launch in May 2015. Accolades have included National Geographic and CNN ranking it as one of the top five “must see” destinations in the world.
“The Classic Car Welcome scheme is a great resource for owners of some of the best-known classic car marques to come and tour this amazing route, and another way for businesses and attractions along the route to make the most of the tourism opportunity.”
VisitScotland’s Welcome Schemes recognise tourism businesses that meet the needs of visitors in relation to their specific interest. Other Welcome Schemes include: Walkers, Cyclists, Golfers, Anglers, Children, Pets, Country Sports, Bikers, Ancestral and Gaelic.
The Welcome Schemes are open to any tourism businesses in Scotland regardless of whether or not they take part in a VisitScotland Quality Scheme.
To join the VisitScotland Classic Cars Welcome Scheme visit, www.visitscotland.org/welcome-schemes.aspx
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’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
- Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
- Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
- Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
- Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
- Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
- Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
- Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
- 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.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
- The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit www.gov.scot or follow @scotgovESIF
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- 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 events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology
- 2017 is the year to delve into the past and discover Scotland’s fascinating stories through a wide-ranging variety of new and existing activity to drive the nation’s tourism and events sector, boosting tourism across Scotland.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology begins on 1 January 2017 and will end on 31 December 2017. It will build on the momentum generated by previous themed years in Scotland including the 2015 Year of Food and Drink, Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Creative Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Built Environment Forum Scotland, Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland and Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology is supported by £570,000 of Scottish Government funding.
- The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
- For more information visit visitscotland.com/HHA2017 or join the conversation at #HHA2017
SOURCE: VisitScotland
MEDIA CONTACT
Stewart Ross
Corporate Press Officer – National
Sports Tourism, Events Tourism, Edinburgh and Lothians, North Coast 500
Stewart.Ross@visitscotland.com
0131 472 2219
Out of hours – 0131 472 2324