50 years of promoting Scotland to the world

50 years young and just getting started

Fifty years ago tourism in Scotland was little more than a large cottage industry. Focussed primarily on the domestic UK market it employed less than 60,000 people, attracted around 5 million visitors a year and was worth an estimated £100million to the national economy.

Today, five decades later, it is an £11.2billion global reaching business, supporting more than 200,000 jobs catering for over 15 million visitors a year.

It all changed with the introduction of the 1969 Development of Tourism Act which led to the setting up of the first official Scottish Tourist Board, now known as VisitScotland, in July of that year.

In the days before the Internet and social media the main weapon in the STB arsenal was printed brochures and leaflets - more than five million of them in the 1990s alone - designed to attract visitors to spend their holiday money in Scotland.

Catchy tunes and slogans such as “Scotland’s for me!” became household phrases in the 1980s, especially after the likes of Dallas star Larry Hagman, golfer Jack Nicklaus and even Rod Hull and Emu were hired to push the message.

Larry Hagman went on TV to promote Scotland

The following decade saw an expansion of the international campaign as firstly visitors from elsewhere in the UK were encouraged to venture north.

In 1983 Local Hero, a landmark movie in Scottish cinema history which helped transform the stereotypical images of Scotland of the 1950s, became a major box-office success. It attracted thousands of visitors to the Aberdeenshire fishing village of Pennan where the red telephone box seen in the movie remains a popular draw for fans.

Pennan, Aberdeenshire

Tom Jervis CC BY 20

However, Scotland’s boom in popularity isn’t all down to the movies alone.

In 2009 the organisation appealed directly to Scots and their descendants around the world to come home for a visit. The first Year of Homecoming was promoted with an advert featuring a chorus of celebrities, including Sir Sean Connery, Brian Cox, Lulu, Eddi Reader and others singing Dougie MacLean’s hauntingly beautiful Caledonia.

At the turn of the 21st century the STB was rebranded as VisitScotland which set about using the latest technology to target niche markets such as golfers, walkers, history and heritage buffs, food and drink enthusiasts, adventurers and event organisers.

It was a major success and spawned the organisations Themed Year Events which pick a subject to encourage associated businesses and organisations to work together. Next year, 2020, is Year of Coasts and Waters.

The Caledonia TV advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENq8CLKEnJo

“There’s a lot of hard work and continued investment that goes in to promoting Scotland and raising the profile of the country around the world,” said Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, outlining the dramatic changes over the last 50 years.

“The acceptance of tourism as a major industry in Scotland has grown over the years and, because of its importance to the economy, the quality of the experience visitors receive has improved dramatically.”

The growth in air connectivity from countries around the world flying directly into Scottish airports has also played a major part in helping the tourism industry to boom.

“In the last few years we’ve put on 156 new routes so Scotland is now much more accessible to the world as a tourism destination.

The world famous Forth Rail Bridge

VisitScotland/Airborn Lens