Latest Figures Show Overwhelming Support for Homecoming
NEWS RELEASE
3rd MARCH 2009
As Scottish Tourism Week gets underway today, Tourism Minister Jim Mather has welcomed latest figures which show great support for Homecoming with a growing army of ambassadors selling Scotland to global friends and family.
The figures show that people are logging onto Homecoming websites every 13 seconds, and a new poll on awareness levels conducted by YouGov shows that 84 per cent of the Scottish population have heard about Homecoming (up from 29 per cent in August last year) and that 75 per cent strongly agree or agree that Homecoming is a good thing for Scotland with only 5 per cent disagreeing.
Mr Mather said:
"These results show the strength of support both at home and abroad for Scotland's year of Homecoming celebrations. It is great to see that so many people plan to be involved by attending some of the 300 plus events.
"These high levels of awareness and support are absolutely vital to achieving our ambitions. It is clear from these stats that there is a growing army of Homecoming ambassadors promoting Scotland to global family and friends. Whether it is by letter, email, telephone, or for those who wish to use a more novel way to spread the word, a Homecoming e-card - the choice of nearly 3500 people so far.
"We have seen a remarkable uptake with many more expected as we approach such signature events such as Whisky Month and The Gathering. I would encourage people to keep extending the invitation across the globe and continue to invite others to join our celebrations.
"As Tourism Week gets underway it is vital that we continue to look to new ways to encourage new visitors to our great country, inspire them to stay longer, and increase their spend. We look forward to working with the tourism industry this week to ensure that Scotland remains ahead of the game."
Marie Christie, Homecoming Scotland Project Director, said:
"Overall, the story so far is one of capacity crowds and enthusiastic support, providing a really positive indicator for success across the year. We could not have hoped for a better start in terms of attendance, reach and audience profile. With a 10 month packed programme still to deliver, these figures are very encouraging."
The poll results come exactly one month on from the launch weekend which included a capacity crowd at Iconic Burns in Alloway, a stunning visual tribute to the bard; 17,500 crowd in Dumfries for Burns Light, the lantern procession; a new world record created by joining together 3,600 Burns Suppers from 80 countries worldwide. The awareness survey was carried out on behalf of Homecoming by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,257 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 27th - 29th January 2009.
Scottish Tourism Week starts on Monday 2 March and features a range of industry events taking place across the country.
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