Perthshire is in a prime location to secure a greater share of Scotland’s £1.9 billion tourism events industry, Deputy First Minister John Swinney has said.
The Perthshire North MSP has thrown his weight behind an ambitious drive aimed at luring prestigious and lucrative conferences and conventions to the region.
Invest in Perth teamed up with Business Tourism for Scotland (BTfS) to launch the Think Scotland, Think Conference in the city.
Speaking to business representatives and public sector leaders at an event at Aviva, Mr Swinney said: “We must utilise the wonderful combination of venues, facilities, natural environment and culture to further enhance Scotland’s reputation as a world-class conference destination.
“Not only does business tourism in all forms bring tens of thousands of delegates to Scotland, but the events also act as a shop window for our country and encourage return visits.
“Perth itself has a huge amount to offer whether that is from within the city or in the stunning countryside surrounding it.”
The launch ceremony featured top business people from throughout the region, including Crieff Hydro chief executive Stephen Leckie, Scone Palace boss Sarah Butler and Perth and Kinross Council’s chief executive, Bernadette Malone.
Mr Leckie said: “The response from business leaders attending the event was extremely encouraging.
“Mr Swinney’s emphasis on the importance of greater collaboration within the region in order to attract new conferences was a crucial point.
“The beauty of the Think Scotland, Think Conference initiative is that it provides the tools and resources to assist businesses to fulfil that ambition and encourage business tourism growth in Perthshire.”
The event aimed to provide companies with the right marketing tools, know-how and support to become advocates of Perth’s business tourism offering.
Overall, the Perth and Kinross patch attracts 1.9 million visitors each year, creating around £465 million for the local economy.
The BTfS hopes to grow business tourism in Scotland by £400m to £2.3bn by 2020, an increase of nearly a quarter.
The Think Scotland, Think Conference campaign is described as a key strand of Scotland’s national tourism strategy, Tourism Scotland 2020, which is co-ordinated by the Scottish Tourism Alliance.