Click here to read the full releaseInspirational Year of Celebration Delivers for Scotland
Independent research published today (25 May) sets out the positive impact of Scotland’s first ever year of celebration, with Homecoming delivering a string of benefits to the country and bolstering Scottish tourism during one of the toughest economic downturns.
The key findings in the report from EKOS, a leading economic and social development consultancy, include that:
• £53.7 million of additional tourism revenue was generated for Scotland, representing a return on investment of nearly 1:10 and 22% above the target set for the year.
• 95,000 visitors to Scotland were influenced to travel to Scotland as a result of Homecoming. 72,000 were exclusively drawn by the celebrations, with a further 23,000 citing the year as a factor in making their decision to visit in 2009.
• £154 million of positive global media coverage for Homecoming and Scotland was generated by the multi-award winning PR campaign.
Speaking at today’s announcement of the findings, Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland said: “Scotland’s first ever year of Homecoming was a great success, demonstrating the power of partnership and what can be achieved when the country unites behind an inspirational campaign. Our year-long celebration created legacies that will benefit Scotland in the coming years as we work towards 2014 when Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup. I am delighted to announce that 2014 will also be our next year of Homecoming, when we extend the invitation to the world once more to join our celebrations.”
Click here to download the full release from the Scottish Government
Click here to download the full release from EventScotland/VisitScotland
