Scots tourism ‘Oscars’ take a vacation after controversy

SCOTLAND’s long-running tourism “Oscars” have been shelved this year in the wake of criticism over the format of the flagship event, The Scotsman can reveal.

VisitScotland’s Scottish Thistle Awards are being “rested” for 12 months in the wake of a major review of the lavish ceremony, which has been a fixture for the past 20 years.

The event, which has seen some of the nation’s best-known figures honoured for their “outstanding contribution” to the industry, was hit by a slump in attendances and drew criticism that it had become stale and repetitive, and was rewarding the same businesses.

Concerns over a lack of recognition for rural businesses and operators, the cost of attending the annual ceremony in Edinburgh, and an unwillingness to move the event out of the capital were also aired.

VisitScotland will now be organising four smaller regional lunchtime events in the spring of next year, with the four fin-alists in each of 12 categories invited to attend a scaled-back national final in the autumn.

The cost of attending the bash, £1,100 a table last year, is also to be slashed as part of the shake-up, although the final price has yet to be set.

The agency has insisted the overall Thistle Awards budget – which it has refused to disclose – will not be increasing but has pledged to try to attract extra sponsorship to ensure that the national award ceremony does not lose its high-profile status.

Sources said VisitScotland had been forced to act following concerns that the event was not providing value for money and was not attracting enough applications, despite being free to enter.

It is hoped that by having four regional events – in the North-east, Highlands and Islands, south-east and south-west of the country – the organisers will be able to encourage hundreds of new businesses to enter. However, it is understood next year’s event is almost certain to be moved away from Edinburgh, where the EICC has hosted the event in recent years.

In a lengthy bulletin issued to industry figures, VisitScotland said: “We can’t stand still and to ensure continuous improvement we sought the views of the industry and our staff.

“The Scottish Thistle Awards belong to the tourism industry and the industry has been instrumental in making the decisions about the future of the awards programme.

“We approached a wide group of people – tourism associations, local authorities, and private businesses – and balanced the group amongst those that engage with the awards and those that do not. A key element of the research was that entries should take place during the winter period to allow businesses to submit more detailed information about most recent campaigns.

“To facilitate this, and to support greater engagement with the industry, we have created an 18-month programme for the 20th awards, which will be held next autumn.”

A spokesman for VisitScotland said the changes would ensure the awards recognised “excellence across the country”, with a programme of promotional work planned to encourage businesses to take part.

He added: “This year’s prices are yet to be confirmed but there is a promise that has been made on the back of the review that these prices will drop to fall in line with similar events. One of the main complaints was that it was becoming more expensive as times were getting tougher.”

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, who was appointed to the post last year, said: “Since 1992 the awards have led the way in terms of recognising the brilliant tourism organisations and businesses that this country has to offer.

“The new format will allow us to extend this further, reaching all regions in Scotland, which will not only allow us to recognise those who are making a real difference, but also to unlock the massive potential in others.”

Pete Irvine, author of the tourism guide Scotland the Best, and a previous winner of the Silver Thistle award, said: “It’s always useful to recognise excellence in the industry and offer exposure to new businesses and others that are well worth visiting.

“However, there are a lot of award ceremonies these days and it can appear that awards are going to people who can put together a good application or have a big PR company behind them.”

Marina Huggett, chair of the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with the Scottish Thistle Awards, extending the opportunity for Highlands and Islands tourism businesses to be considered within the national arena of awards.”

Charlie Marshall, business development manager at the Scottish Seabird Centre, in North Berwick, one of last year’s winners, said: “We welcome the change in format. This move will allow more people to get involved.”