In response to the recent articles in The Times and The Courier, Alison Elliott and Scott Byrne, Chair and Vice-Chair of Angus Tourism Cooperative said,
“Angus perfectly meets the demands of the modern tourism market in Scotland, offering diverse natural environments, rich cultural heritage, authentic community driven tourism and a sustainable approach to the industry.
Tourism and travelling has the power to create change in a positive way and we are striving to embrace this in Angus. This can mean change for the visitor, the place they are visiting and the community that is hosting the visitor. Tourism is far more than simple economics that can be measured by the number of visitors to a region and the money that they spend.
Businesses in tourism are currently facing an unprecedented challenge as travel restrictions across the world make visitors re-evaluate where, how, and why they travel. Add this challenge to previous industry challenges including over-tourism, there is no one type of tourism that works for every tourist or every region.
Angus should not be compared to the cities of Dundee; Angus has its own unique identity that the community are delighted to share with the visitors that come to the region.
The development of tourism in Angus has been enhanced by the establishment of the Angus Tourism Cooperative (ATC), providing a regional platform for tourism businesses in the locality. ATC and Visit Angus continue to work alongside a range of other tourism stakeholders to develop the Angus Tourism Framework which represents an ambitious route for tourism here. Angus holds massive potential as a destination demonstrating encouraging growth in contemporary tourism; the time is right for this most attractive part of Scotland to meet that potential, complimenting the tourism strategy across the Tayside region.”
Caroline Warburton, Regional Leadership Director, VisitScotland said,
“Angus has so much to offer visitors and we see great potential over the next few years with particular opportunities for the region in rural adventures, outdoor activities and food & drink. Angus already has many internationally recognised attractions such as the rich heritage of Arbroath Abbey and Glamis Castle, Carnoustie Golf Links, venue for The Open Championship and the birthplace of JM Barrie at Kirriemuir, as well as a growing number of creative and innovative agritourism businesses such as Hideaway Experience, Peel Farm and Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery that is distilling the world’s first climate positive gin.
“With this year celebrating the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, which was sealed within the grounds of Arbroath Abbey, Angus is well-positioned to use this anniversary and the many other excellent opportunities as a springboard to showcase what the area has to offer. With indicative dates set by the Scottish Government for the tourism industry to reopen to domestic visitors in the next few weeks, we will continue to work with Angus Tourism Cooperative, the tourism sector and the communities of Angus as they get them ready to reopen and welcome visitors to Angus again.”