£1m festival drive

In your article, “VisitScotland denies accusations it failed to promote festivals” (31 August), you write that the national tourism organisation has been “denounced for the lack of a campaign to boost ticket sales when the Olympics were on”. 
I must clarify a few points.

The money invested by 
VisitScotland into this year’s 
Edinburgh Festivals amounted to more than £1 million.

This included £526,600 into staging the events, £65,000 from the VisitScotland Growth Fund awarded to Festivals Edinburgh, with whom we enjoy an excellent relationship, as well as 
more than £500,000 on marketing activity.

The article also said the amount spent by VisitScotland promoting Edinburgh’s Festivals “pales in comparison” to the £7m marketing campaign to promote Scotland on the back of Brave.

Disney-Pixar’s film is an unprecedented opportunity for global exposure, encouraging people to come to Scotland.

As this is a campaign promoting the entire country – including the Edinburgh Festivals, this is not a fair comparison.

Malcolm Roughead

VisitScotland

Ocean Drive

Edinburgh