Edinburgh strategy calls for deseasoning
Edinburgh Tourism Action Group 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.
The Edinburgh Tourism Strategy sets out three clear objectives to achieve by 2020, supported by specific and measurable growth targets:
- the target is to increase the number of visits by one third: from 3.27m visits to 4.39m visits, generating an additional 4.15 million visitor nights, an increase of 3% per annum.
- increase the value of every visitors’ spend by 10%: The target is to increase spend from £310.40 to £341.44 per visitor trip. Combined with increasing the number of visitors by a third, this will generate an additional £485 million per annum by 2020, taking the total visitor spend from £1.015bn to £1.5bn in today’s prices.
- reduce seasonality across the sector: The target is to achieve 50% of the additional growth during the months of October to March and reduce the current 40:60 split in visits to 43:57 between October to March and April to September.
Minister for Tourism, Fergus Ewing, said: "The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the growth of the tourism industry and I was delighted to launch the Edinburgh 2020 strategy which will be central to achieving that growth.
"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."
To implement the strategy, an Edinburgh Tourism Strategy Implementation Group (SIG) will be formed, made up of key organisations from public and private sectors. Action Groups will be established to progress defined projects and areas of action.
Valere Tjolle
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