A NEW £4.25 million tourism campaign aimed at promoting the “spirit of Scotland” around the world has been launched with the help of a host of Scots athletes, comedians and entrepreneurs.
VisitScotland has come up with seven traits it believes can be found within the characters of the people and landscapes of the country including warmth, humour, guts, spark, soul, determination and fun.
Using the hashtag #ScotSpirit, the organisation hopes to encourage people across the world, with a particular focus on key markets across the UK, France, Germany and New York City, to share what Scotland means to them.
Launched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the campaign is one of a series of initiatives that change the way VisitScotland markets and sells the country. VisitScotland has hand-picked seven Scots it believes represents the spirit of Scotland.
Maryam Ghaffari, founder of Scotland’s number one Got Soul Choir was chosen for her soul, athlete Laura Muir for her determination, Social Bite entrepreneur Josh Littlejohn for his warmth, passionate foodie market trader Beth Berry for fun, comedian Susan Morrison for humour and SuperJam founder Fraser Doherty for his spark.
Stunt biker Danny MacAskill was picked for his guts and a video of his death-defying 2014 ride along the hazardous Cuillin Ridge on his native Isle of Skye has been viewed more than 41 million times on YouTube.
The online sensation said he hoped the campaign would show “how amazing Scotland is”.
Speaking at the launch at Edinburgh Castle yesterday, MacAskill said: “This year there’s a real focus on the people of Scotland. We’re a proud nation and for a small place we make a lot of noise, so I think it’s a great idea.
“We’re friendly, determined, we’re okay to laugh at ourselves, we’re not too serious and like to have fun. We’ve got guts as well.
“I can’t rave enough about Scotland and I try to promote it through my videos, to show the backdrop and maybe capture some of the feeling that you get. Whether it’s the Cuillins on Skye or here in Edinburgh, there’s no place like it on earth.”
VisitScotland hopes to raise the profile of the country and achieve a £1 billion growth in tourism by 2020.
A series of cinematic adverts, short online documentaries and a new interactive website will feature in the new push.
Social media is also being targeted, with the #ScotSpirit hashtag to encourage people to talk about their favourite aspects of Scotland and its people.
Sturgeon said: “Nowhere is the spirit of Scotland more evident than in its people – visitors to our country can be guaranteed that the people they meet and the welcome they receive will leave a lasting impression.
“Tourism is one of the big success stories of our economy. Last year we saw visitor numbers up by seven per cent and we want to build on that. This is VisitScotland’s first global campaign that is celebrating all that is great about our country, our landscapes, our scenery, our culture, our history, food and drink, and above all else our people.”
She said Scots are known for their good humour, warmth and determination.
“If you come to Scotland you can visit some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world in some of the most vibrant cities of the world and they’re all close together because of our size as a country,” she said.
“So, you can experience all of the diversity that this country has to offer and above all else you will get the warmest of welcomes.”
VisitScotland is also working with the UK charity Family Holiday Association and the tourism industry to create opportunities for struggling families in Scotland, many of whom will never have had a family holiday, to see more of their country.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “The new advertising visuals are breathtaking and I’m sure they will inspire many to make the journey to Scotland, but this is about so much more than stunning imagery. It’s about harnessing a nation behind tourism.”
The National View: All of us can be ambassadors for Scotland
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