In the last 10 years, Dundee has enjoyed the biggest change in fortune for a long time.
The waterfront regeneration, the opening of the V&A, being named the best place to live in Scotland, hosting Big Weekend, the Summer Bash Streets Festival and the upcoming arrival of the Eden Project, which is expected to generate £27 million a year for the local economy.
It is brilliant that Dundee is being recognised like never before.
The days of Dundee being the teenage pregnancy capital of Europe are long gone and the city is no longer the drug death capital of Europe.
Now, Dundee is regarded as Britain’s coolest city and has continuously been ranked as one of the best places to visit for a city break by global tourism magazines, with Conde Nast Traveller describing Dundee as “Scotland’s renaissance city”.
All of this is amazing and it is fantastic that the city is heading in the right direction.
However, it is clear that we have a long way to go, because last week I was bitterly disappointed to learn that VisitScotland has decided to pull out of Dundee.
This decision has been heavily criticised since it broke in The Courier last week.
I respect VisitScotland and it has my full support in making Scotland a brilliant place to visit but I am sad that it seems to be giving up on Dundee when it is going through the most positive change it has had in years.
One of the things I seriously don’t like is no matter how much better Dundee gets in terms of visitor numbers and attractions, it is still. at times, treated unfairly compared to other Scottish cities.
That Dundee’s VisitScotland base, located at the V&A Dundee, is the only one in the country to close, backs that up.
VisitScotland Dundee closure is unfair
One conclusion I saw someone draw was that VisitScotland’s Dundee base being the only one to close is a result of wanting to be more committed to Highland and central belt tourism.
I worry that no matter what, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen will always be the main focus for our national tourist board and it is unfair that Dundee is left out, even after all all of the success the city has seen in recent years.
I was taken aback at the statement VisitScotland put out, which claimed a commitment to Dundee.
Announcing the closure of the base in Dundee, then claiming it is committed to the city is not good enough.
VisitScotland needs to reconsider its position and retain its place in Dundee if it is serious about helping the city succeed.
It should not let Dundee down.
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