Business Tourism Fund Supports 18 Conferences

22nd November 2012

A fund designed to increase the number of business conferences being held in Scotland is expected to have a positive economic impact of £56m, according to new VisitScotland figures which also suggest that for every public sector pound invested the return will be £53.

Tourism Minister, Fergus Ewing updated MSPs on the Conference Bid Fund during today’s debate on business tourism in the Scottish Parliament.

The fund has been used to attract eighteen conferences in the last six months generating £56m between 2013 and 2020 with a total public sector spend of over a million pounds.

Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said:"Business Tourism has moved from being perceived as a niche part of Scotland’s overall tourism sector, to become one of the principle focuses and interests. Six months after its launch, the Conference Bid Fund has secured 18 influential meetings, large and small for Scotland.

"This not only makes a contribution to our economy , it is also an opportunity to showcase Scotland to business tourists as a premiere location to invest, study, live, work and visit again.

"The Conference Bid Fund is already proving a success and is making Scotland even more attractive in this global market where we face competition from cities like Las Vegas to Lisbon.

"Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee have been the main beneficiaries of the fund so far but Aberdeen, Inverness and principal resort destinations such as, St Andrews and Perthshire can also benefit and I would encourage them to get involved.

"Business tourism is not just about cities - the whole of Scotland has a wealth of distinctive venues and top class accommodation that can easily lend itself to hosting conferences."

Head of VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit Neil Brownlee said:"Scotland has so much to offer delegates in terms of our world-class venues, our spectacular scenery, our fantastic food and drink, our history, our golf and so much more.

"We have listened to the wants and needs of the industry and developed a fund that fills a gap and benefits Scotland by allowing us to continue to punch above our weight within the international conference market.

"VisitScotland’s role within business tourism is to create the business ripple effect, growing the Scottish economy beyond tourism through attracting business events and making connections across the wider business community which are well beyond tourism. The Conference Bid Fund helps to put us firmly on the front foot and deliver these goals."