Tourism drive to help Scottish firms recoup lost earnings from volcano disruption

Published on Friday 23 April 2010 23:27

SCOTLAND'S national tourism body has launched a recovery plan to help businesses that have lost bookings because of the volcano disruption.

It came as the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce mounted a campaign among members to ensure that stranded foreign tourists were well looked after.

The VisitScotland initiative comes after the Scottish Government announced that cancelled events, such as conferences, would cost the economy 2 million.

VisitScotland said firms would be offered free marketing and advertising on its Perfect Day website in an attempt to encourage Britons to take holidays in Scotland.

It forms part of a new 100,000 marketing campaign in Scotland and the north of England to boost breaks north of the Border.

A spokesman for the Edinburgh chamber said looking after stranded visitors was crucial to future business.

He said: "That will mean people are far more likely to return than if they are taken for everything they have got."

Tourism minister Jim Mather said: "Tourism businesses across Scotland have risen to the challenges presented by the disruption to air travel caused by volcanic eruptions in Iceland, with accommodation providers and others going out of their way to help visitors stranded in Scotland beyond their expected stay.

"Clearly, the cancellation of flights will have led to unexpected vacancies and it is absolutely right that, across the public sector, we do whatever we can to help businesses attract new bookings and ensure the impact of this disruption is short-lived."