A THOUSAND jobs a year are to be created in Scotland's capital city by 2020 in a push that is expected to lay the template for the expansion of the tourism sector across the country.
The forecast – based on a near- tripling of hospitality industry jobs in Edinburgh, from 12,000 in 1989 to 32,000 now – is matched by a target to increase the number of visits to Edinburgh from 3.27 million to 4.39 million over the next eight years.
New hotels and conference centres – such as those planned for the east end of Princes Street, St Andrew Square and the Caltongate – specific year-round marketing, improvements in developing established markets, such as visitors from England, and tapping emerging markets like China are predicted to help bring an extra 8400 full-time jobs to the capital.
Edinburgh's summer festivals regularly attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and last year was another record year as 1.95 million tickets were sold for the Festival Fringe. The total was an increase of 5% on the previous year as 21,000 performers turned a large section of the capital into a theatrical mini-city for much of August.
Launching Edinburgh 2020, the eight-year game plan, Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said the capital's model could be used across Scotland to encourage other destinations such as Glasgow to provide more hotel space.
The Edinburgh Tourism Action Group highlighted the value of encouraging visitors as it revealed the monetary worth to the capital. Visitor spend was £250 million in 1990, compared to £1 billion in 2010 – the highest in the UK after London.
The group's chairman, Robin Worsnop, said: "The past 20 years have seen a remarkable transformation in the scale and nature of Edinburgh's tourism industry and its impact on the economic, social and cultural life of the city.
"Once a highly seasonal destination – dominated by leisure tourism – Edinburgh now has a rich, diverse year-round industry, with a very strong, high-yield conference and meetings sector.
"Now, at the beginning of 2012, the UK and Europe economies are seeing a further downturn, the length, depth and impact of which is uncertain.
"Edinburgh 2020 is about maintaining the momentum of growth for the next 10 years and beyond. It will act as a catalyst for partnership and collaboration across the industry and build the case for, and prioritise investment in, the tourism product."
An overall 3% increase in business per year would have substantial knock-on effects to the wider community, and talks with Westminster on improving transport links will also start.
With 42% of visitors coming from England to enjoy specific events such as Hogmanay, the festivals and city's 400 restaurants, the tourism chiefs identified particular groups.
These include the "northern sometimers" – those from the north of England on short visits – and the "southern travel junkies", people from the south-east who look to the higher-end of the market and longer stays.
Paul Lewis, Scottish Enterprise operations managing director, said the numbers of potential middle-class visitors will grow from one billion globally to three billion, with China accounting for much of that, over the same time.
Mr Ewing said Edinburgh should set up a Business Improvement District scheme, such as the one pioneered in New York's Times Square, where firms contributed cash towards improvement plans for the area.
He added: "The strategy recognises that tourism brings many benefits, not just for Edinburgh but for the whole country. It is ambitious and has clear objectives which will stand the industry in good stead for the future.
"The launch is very timely as we start 2012 and go into the next few years of great opportunities for tourism. These include some of the biggest events in the world such as the Olympics, the Open golf championship, which is at Muirfield in 2013, the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup, culminating with the Year of Homecoming in 2014."
The Edinburgh Tourism Action Group is made up of bodies and companies including the Edinburgh Restaurateurs Association, Hotel and Guest House Association, the city council, National Museums Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.
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