Councillors today 18th November 2010 gave their backing to the creation of a single promotional body for Edinburgh.
‘Marketing Edinburgh’ will build on the existing public-private partnerships in the city and the combined strengths of Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance (DEMA), Edinburgh Convention Bureau (ECB) and Edinburgh Film Focus (EFF) to raise the global profile of Edinburgh as a destination in which to invest, visit, live, work and study.
The business case, which went before the meeting of full council, drew on an exhaustive analysis of competitor cities across the UK to reveal the need for a central body leading a city-wide approach.
It outlined how, from April 2011, the new organisation would create added value through leverage, alignment and closer coordination of city promotion activity, drawing together both public and private investment derived from direct income and from continued and growing collaboration with city partners.
The experience and diversity of the Marketing Edinburgh board is seen as crucial in engineering and maintaining partnerships between sectors.
Cllr Tom Buchanan, convener of Economic Development, said: “This is the final stage in an evolving process to create a single city promotion body for Edinburgh; one with the critical mass and clout to attract the levels of private and public sector investment required to exploit our city’s many strengths to the full.
“I look forward to working closely with our partners towards developing a coordinated city promotion plan that delivers for our capital through Marketing Edinburgh.”
Alan Johnston, Chair of the Marketing Edinburgh Project Board, said: “I welcome the decision of the City Council to approve the creation of Marketing Edinburgh as the single lead body for city promotion. It marks an important milestone in taking the city forward as an attractive global destination in the increasingly competitive market place of the 21st century”.
Ron Hewitt, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “The establishment of Marketing Edinburgh is a significant advance. For years, this great city has lacked a co-ordinating marketing body with sole responsibility for attracting investors, visitors and talent to the city.
“It is important now that the private sector steps up to the plate and we leverage more investment, jobs and prosperity in the years ahead through the campaigns and impact of Marketing Edinburgh.”
VisitScotland’s regional director, Sinead Feltoe, said: “We are looking forward to working in partnership with Marketing Edinburgh to promote the city to potential visitors and will continue to deliver inspirational domestic and international marketing for the city, attracting hundreds of thousands of additional visitors and building on the £50 million we generated for the city last year.
“Tourism has the potential to lead economic recovery in Scotland and in this current economic climate it is crucial we work together to make the most of these opportunities.”
The business case had previously been approved by the boards of DEMA, ECB and EFF in September and by the Economic Development Committee in October.
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