I liked this post so much, I just had to post the link here.
http://www.smartertravel.com/vacation-package/deals/endinburgh-four-night-breaks-with-flight.html?id=11666318
I can’t help but feel there is a complacency about the Edinburgh hotel and travel market which is pretty brain dead when it comes to creative packaging. This not only affects Edinburgh hotel prospects, but affects the whole of Scotland, as Edinburgh is a must visit for many especially overseas visitors to Scotland, and if Edinburgh is too dear, or not creative enough in its destination and hotel selling and marketing, these visitors may come to cotland at all so everyone loses, not just Edinburgh.
The recent mumblings about bed tax and airlines reducing schedules to Edinburgh because of costs presumably, and the chaotic state of a failed tram project and a bankrupt city, doesn’t augur well for Edinburgh right now. And they need to stop tunnel visioning, and look at their place in the bigger picture – Scotland. Edinburgh owes a lot to Scotland just as Scotland does to Edinburgh, yet the real relationship is one sided – Edinburgh. A decision about flights bringing visitors into Edinburgh is not just an issue about Edinburgh. Michael O’Leary has done more for Scottish tourism and travel numbers than any Edinburgh destination marketing operation.
Edinburgh International Film Festival
By Maria McQueen.
‘Maria fell in love with Edinburgh ever since her first visit to the Scottish capital, 5 years ago now. Check out http://www.housetrip.com/en/edinburgh for accommodation and http://www.edinburghrestaurants.co.uk/ for the best restaurants.’
The Edinburgh International Film Festival established in 1947, is the world’s longest continually running film festival. It takes place annually every June, but this has not always been the case. Prior to 2008, the festival was always held in August. The change of date has been a bone of contention for some, as they have viewed it as making the festival less internationally accessible. One Time Out reader said- ‘I felt that the move away from august would change the festival from a world event with many foreign visitors to a largely provincial event on a par with Cambridge-and with similar funding’.
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HOTREC1 opposes the introduction of local taxes on tourists, especially bed taxes, which are penalising tourists and might seriously damage the local economy.
Bed taxes and similar taxes are more and more being introduced in the different EU Member States (mostly at local level), which are adding additional burden on the European hospitality / tourism industry.
When such taxes are introduced, in most cases this income is simply used to reduce budget deficits in general, according to the principle “tourists are not participating in local elections, therefore it is easy to ask them to pay additional money into the budget”.
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