The new website, active since 2 April, replaces a six year old website which was scrapped in February after running up cumulative losses of £1.5m.  This decision was hailed as a triumph for tourist service providers who had for long criticised the website and campaigned for its replacement.  Amongst other issues, the former website was slated for referring many potential visitors to VisitScotland’s own call centre rather than the establishment directly. It had never made a profit and last year lost £1.5m.

The reformed VisitScotland.com is quicker and easier to navigate featuring ‘Scotland’s Ultimate Visitors Guide’, allegedly the most comprehensive and authoritative tourist guide available on Scotland, and an online travel shop where visitors can buy travel tickets, holiday packages and gift vouchers.   

The launch will be attended by representatives of the Scottish tourism industry who will be addressed by Tourism Minister, Jim Mather.

Welcoming the relaunch of the site, Marco Truffelli, Chief Executive of VisitScotland.com said;

“We’re delighted to reward the industry with their efforts by hosting this celebration.  We have made the first in a number of planned improvements for the site and we will continue to develop it in line with industry and consumer demand. "

Speaking ahead of the launch in Edinburgh today Jim Mather said:
 
"Since becoming Minister, I have hosted a series of round table discussions with key players in the industry about how we can give our visitors an absolutely first class level of service.

"At the top of that list was the strong desire for changes to be made to the VisitScotland.com website. We said that changes would be made to provide a much enhanced service to visitors and businesses and I am delighted that these changes have now been made.

"VisitScotland.com is our door into Scotland, and these welcome changes will ensure that Scotland is at the very top of its game, able to continue to compete with the world's best."

Senior industry figures have been broadly supportive of the new website.
 
Iain Herbert, Director of the Scottish Tourism Forum said;

“The Scottish Tourism Forum welcomes and supports the partnership approach VisitScotland.com has taken in the production of the new site.  The site offers a real opportunity for Scottish tourism businesses to promote themselves in a united way to potential visitors.  As an industry, we must make the most out of this site to support our ambitions of growth and we look forward to the continued expansion of this essential tool – a great move forward.”

David Smythe, Chairman of the Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers, added;

“This is a really good improvement on the previous site.  Dividing the visitor into two streams on the front page is a good idea.  The journey through the site is far more entertaining.”