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27/07/2010
Regions
Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium
The Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium is a marketing group of over 75 tourism businesses that have come together to promote the Tweed Valley as a world class activity destination. Through collaboration their key objective is to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more.
The group began in 2003 as the Tweeddale Tourist Consortium and has gone on to become a shining example of effective teamwork, winning numerous awards and industry praise along the way. In 2009 they were awarded funding of £60,000 through the LEADER initiative, which was matched by Scottish Enterprise and the contributions from members of the Consortium for a three year
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06/07/2010
Research Summaries
Cycling Holidays in the Scottish Borders
The quiet roads and beautiful scenery of the Scottish Borders provide the idyllic setting for a cycling holiday. Local tourism businesses should take advantage of this fantastic asset, because the growing interest in sustainable tourism, health and the environment makes cycling an increasingly popular holiday choice.
The Borders’ world-class mountain biking reputation already attracts ‘hardcore cyclists’, but tourism businesses could work together to bring in more ‘leisure cyclists’ who want to relax and enjoy the local culture. This type of visitor won’t spend all their time cycling, and will be looking for a range of activities and attractions during their trip – that makes them extremely valuable to local businesses.
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16/06/2010
Case Studies
Whitmuir Organics
Owners Pete and Heather Ritchie have grown Whitmuir Organics in the Scottish Borders from a small farming operation to the point where it is now a thriving farm shop, cafe, restaurant and gallery, employing 25 full/part time staff.
“Having farmed the north-facing land for 10 years and sold some limited produce out of the back of a silage shed, we were faced with the decision of whether to continue to ‘tick over’ in this way, or try and expand the business by exploring new markets and products”, says Pete.
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21/04/2010
Research Summaries
The Economic Value of Mountain Biking Tourism to Scotland
With beautiful landscapes and a vast wilderness, it’s no wonder that Scotland is a world class mountain biking destination. But with increasing competition from Wales and the North of England, it must continue to evolve to maintain its strong market share.
By investing in good quality built facilities, Scotland captured the attention of the international mountain biking market. There has been a big increase in visitor numbers, thanks to initiatives like the 7stanes development in Southern Scotland.
For sustainable development Scotland needs to stay at the forefront of mountain biking advancements. The key to success is to broaden the market whilst maintaining and developing existing facilities.
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15/04/2010
Research Summaries
Mountain bikers mean business
Mountain biking is Southern Scotland’s rising star, with over 400km of world class trails the 7stanes project attracts 400,000 visitors each year. The 7stanes are a series of trail centres situated across Southern Scotland and are now worth £9 million to the local economy.
Each trail centre has a unique character, with terrain suitable to all ages and stages of the sport. There are an estimated 5.5 million mountain bikers in the UK – that’s almost the same as the entire population of Scotland. The 7stanes has something for all of them from cross country riders to downhill thrill seekers.
Mountain bikers need places to stay and lots to eat, so there are plentiful opportunities for local businesses.
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15/04/2010
Research Summaries
Tweed Valley Tourism
The Tweed Valley is a holiday destination with something for everyone. Visitors spend nearly £40 million taking part in activities and visiting attractions in the area. The natural beauty, traditional market towns and peaceful setting give it a competitive edge.
At the moment, the majority of people visit for general leisure, but there is an opportunity to capitalise on the area’s strengths and transform it into the leading outdoor activity destination in the UK. The area is home to largest of the 7stanes Mountain biking centres ( Glentress/ Innerleithen) By promoting a wealth of activities all in the one area, they please a market looking for eco-friendly health benefits.
There is always a broad range of things to do and see in the area. The key is for tourism businesses to work together.. The area is also home to the Tweed valley Tourist Consortium, a trade group with over 60 members.
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30/03/2010
Regions
Tourism in the Scottish Borders
VisitScotland publishes key tourism statistics for the Scottish Borders, collated from the main tourism surveys including the International Passenger Survey and United Kingdom Tourism Survey.
The ‘Tourism in the Scottish Borders’ factsheet outlines the main tourism statistics for the area. A regional breakdown of the Scottish Accommodation Occupancy Survey shows monthly percentage occupancy in the hotel, guest house/bed and breakfast, self-catering and caravan and camping sectors. The Scottish Visitor Attraction Monitor shows the number of visitors attending attractions across the area.
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29/03/2010
Research Summaries
Cycling and Mountain Biking Research
The main aim of this VisitScotland study was to gain a better understanding of the cycling and mountain biking market to Scotland.
There were clear distinctions identified between Leisure and Specialist cyclists, such as the relative importance of cycling as an activity whilst on such a holiday, and the key driver of their holiday selection. For Leisure cyclists, destination is the key driver, whereas cycling is likely to be the key driver for the Specialist segment.
In terms of overall requirements, key commonalities were observed across all the segments, such as the focus on the environment/scenery of the destination, the accommodation and the routes/trails available.
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29/03/2010
Facts and Figures
Visitor Attraction Monitor
The Visitor Attraction Monitor is an annual report on the performance of Scotland's visitor attractions and is an important accompaniment to the monthly Visitor Attraction Barometer. Statistics on visits to attractions are provided by geographic area, category of attraction (eg. garden, distillery, museum), location (rural, urban, seaside), volume of visits and admission type (free versus paid).
Bite-sized chunks of the report covering different categories of visitor attractions are available to view online, along with the complete report.
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