Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113255
•pg_14-18__BMT_pg3-58 2/27/13 6:54 AM Page 16 FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS, SCOTLAND OFFERS A WEALTH OF OPTIONS BY EDITH BILLUPS Are Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotland you a business traveler planning a trip to Scotland, and your knowledge is limited in regard to your options? Then here's a wee bit of very good news. In addition to golf, fine whisky, and culture, Scotland offers much for business travelers planning a visit to this small, but delightful country, voted recently by CNN as the world's top travel hotspot for 2013. The leading news source cited the newly-unveiled Scottish National Trail, the dramatic countryside featured in the hit James Bond thriller "Skyfall," and The Open Championship golf tournament scheduled for July 2013, as a few of the many reasons to discover the country this year. I recently packed my bags for a five day visit and came away thoroughly impressed with Scotland's allure, vastly increasing my knowledge of Scotland's scenic beauty, natural landscapes, corporate retreats and conference meeting spaces. Although small in population (just over 5 million), Scotland hosts about a quarter of all association conferences and events held annually in the UK and is increasingly gaining a reputation for fine food and drink; a range of activities to challenge even the most adventurous; and accommodations to suit every budget. Business tourism officials are hoping to turn those assets into a significant increase in visitors in 2014 as Scotland prepares to host two of the world's greatest sporting events: the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow and including various Olympic events to be staged around Scotland, and The Ryder Cup. The latter will bring some of the biggest names in golf to the home of the likes of Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, along with its own stellar list of celebrities. To prepare, Scotland, which saw a 13% increase in business trips in 2010, is bolstering its conference and events market, as developers invest in new hotels and upgrade existing properties to the tune of $2 billion pounds. During a recent speech to event planners and writers attending a reception at the brand new 74 million pound Riverside Museum in Glasgow, Mike McCantlay, chair of VisitScotland, noted that, "In a world where capital investment in tourism and leisure has effectively stopped, here in Scotland, we're still building. If we were in Edinburgh, we'd take you to the new 46 million pound, newly refurbished Museum of Scotland. If we were in Dundee, we'd show you the sight of the 45 million pound V and A waterfront 16 B M & T ••• January/February 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com