Q&A with VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay

Question and Answer Session with VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay at VisitScotland Expo in 2014

How is this year’s Homecoming Scotland 2014 building on and moving on from the first Homecoming in 2009?

The first Homecoming was chiefly about getting people to come over and visit friends and relatives and, of course, this one is too. It’s also about incorporating a whole broader range of themes. Even if you’re coming over to attend a clan gathering you will also want to do other things. This is really taking the whole concept to the next stage of encouraging those with ancestral links to come and beyond that having such an integrated programme of events that it makes Scotland irresistible for Scots, as well as people across the UK and beyond whenever they visit during the year.

How much is there in this year’s programme for Scots themselves?

I’ve always had a phrase that ‘tourism is everyone’s business’. I would like to see every Scot involved. Some countries don’t have the populace that we do and find it hard to get enough people to attend big events. We want to engage the whole Scottish populace this year. We’d love to see people attending an event whether it’s the Ryder Cup, the Commonwealth Games or sheep dog trials. We want Scots to be at the forefront of Homecoming. There are a lot of unmissable and unique events. I don’t want to anyone to get to the end of the year wishing they had been involved, but never got around to it.

This year’s Homecoming looks like being a success, so are we looking at a Homecoming Mark III?

For me another Homecoming is really a ‘no brainer’. After 2009 staging another one was a ‘no brainer’ and we are thinking the same again. On the record I’m happy to say that as I really want to keep up the momentum here. We’ve got some very exciting theme years coming up and then I’d like to see another Homecoming probably in around five years.

How important are expanding air links to the future of Scottish tourism?

 Air links are crucial. The majority of people these days come to Scotland directly, or at least don’t stop on the way, which is what we want to see. They want to come to Scotland as easily as they possibly can. The short haul market is now really well served and we are also very interested in the medium and long haul markets, seeing real connectivity to big hubs and cities. Our objective is to plug into as many hubs, alliances and networks as possible. The Emirates Glasgow route has been a success, with developments like the Qatar Edinburgh connection and new American and Canadian routes opening up opportunities too. Air Canada rouge is a classic example as it offers a link not only into a great terminal in Toronto, but then on to hundreds of other cities.

What markets do you see emerging for Scottish tourism?

China, India, Russia and South America are becoming very important, with the Chinese the biggest spending customers as individuals and we expect to see growing numbers there. Germany is still our number one European market followed by France. Irrespective of exchange rates and other variables we want to continue to be a popular destination across the global spectrum. We have a real opportunity to do that. We are investing across the board – you make your own luck in tourism. Scotland is a small country and we have to shout hard and use every tool that comes our way.