This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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BTA promises stronger Scots push overseas
31/10/2002
Plans to strengthen the overseas promotion work which
the British Tourist Authority (BTA) does on behalf of
Scotland were welcomed today by Tourism Minister Mike
Watson.
He also responded to the announcement by Tessa
Jowell, Secretary of State for Media, Culture and Sport,
that a new responsibility had been placed on the BTA to
co-ordinate the marketing of England in the GB tourism
market.
Ms Jowell's announcement was made following discussions
which she had with First Minister Jack McConnell.
The re-organised BTA will account separately for its
overseas and English marketing activities, and will from
now on report on its overseas activities to the Scottish
Parliament as well as to Westminster.
Mike Watson said:
"VisitScotland is already responsible for actively
marketing Scotland in overseas countries, and in many cases
it does this very successfully by working in close
collaboration with the British Tourist Authority, which is
today being relaunched.
"I therefore welcome proposals to move more BTA staff
from London to overseas offices where they can more
actively sell Britain and Scotland to foreign tourists.
"The British Tourist Authority has emphasised that
Scotland as a destination will remain very high on its
agenda.
"In fact, after London, Scotland has consistently been
the most popular subject of visitor enquiries in BTA
offices throughout the world. I look forward to the close
working relationships between VisitScotland and the BTA
being strengthened under the new organisation.
"In that respect, I am pleased that following Jack
McConnell's constructive talks with Tessa Jowell, we have
been able to secure a strengthened role for Scotland in the
new body, including consultation on the BTA management
statement and on appointments to the Board.
"I will also be keeping a close eye on how the British
Tourist Authority discharges its new role in marketing
England as a tourism destination in the GB market.
VisitScotland already does that very successfully for
Scotland, and I regard the development as a case of
imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. But we have
insisted to DCMS that the BTA will have to account for
these distinct activities completely separately from each
other and this has been agreed."
Overseas tourists represent around 10 per cent of
tourists in Scotland.