VisitScotland in India to Promote Tourism

VisitScotland representatives are in India this week to meet with key tour operators, leading tourism industry figures and strategic partners at a roundtable event in Mumbai.

The forum has been organised by the tourism body and forms part of a five-day India Business Development Mission in partnership with Etihad Airways, taking in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi.

VisitScotland is joined in India by seven industry partners for a series of trade and networking events across the country.

An India market seminar is also planned for VisitScotland Expo, Scotland's premier business to business travel trade event, held on 20 and 21 April in Edinburgh.

All events are set to explore and promote the potential and importance of this key emerging market to Scottish tourism businesses in a bid to get them ‘India Ready’.

“Scotland’s tourism offer is unrivalled. Visitors come here to enjoy our amazing natural scenery, our history and culture, and the multitude of tourism attractions and quality experiences, and to spend in our hotels, shops and restaurants. Home to a host of world class events, including the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, Scotland has something to offer everyone across the generations,” said Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing. “Scotland has already been the backdrop to a number of successful Bollywood films over the years, and we would welcome the opportunity for more Indian tourists to visit the tremendous locations used. However, we must never become complacent and trade and networking events such as this to develop emerging markets should pay dividends in the future.”

Scotland’s appeal within India lies in its dramatic landscapes and natural beauty, its cities, whisky and golf. Film tourism is another key driver, with around 24 Bollywood movies having been filmed in Scotland and whose locations are featured a special online map, Bollywood Scotland, produced by VisitScotland last year.

India is the 14th largest international market for expenditure in Scotland and the ninth for number of nights, according to the latest international passenger figures.

In 2014, Indian visitors spent 474,000 nights in Scotland while over the past three years a third of all trips by visitors were for the purpose of a holiday and each spent an average of 19.1 nights per trip. Edinburgh is the third most visited city in the UK for Indian visitors, with Glasgow and Inverness also top destinations.

“Our beautiful landscapes, bustling cities, iconic whisky and world-beating golf courses are a potent mix for the Indian market. As the world’s 23rd most valuable source market for international tourism, with 13.6 million outbound visits, there is enormous tourism potential for India and Scotland must ensure it is ready to capitalise,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland. “We are working with a number of partners to promote Scotland's awe-inspiring landscapes and unique cultural heritage in India and these events will help get tourism businesses ‘India Ready’ so they can be better informed to explore this emerging market.”

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