The Tourism Society has announced that Edinburgh will host the organisation’s annual Symposium in 2017. Scheduled to take place from 5-6 June, the conference will discuss the global trends, challenges and opportunities facing the UK tourism industry with perspectives from home and abroad as well as the role of heritage in product development and marketing..
Announcing Edinburgh as the host destination, Gregory Yeoman, executive director of The Tourism Society said: “We’re delighted that the conference will be returning to Scotland. It’s an important year as the Society celebrates its 40th anniversary and we look forward to welcoming delegates from around the UK as we celebrate the past and look to the future.”
2017 is not only the 40th anniversary of The Tourism Society, it is also the 70th anniversary of the emergence of the Edinburgh Festivals and the 250th anniversary of the creation of the city’s New Town.
Welcoming the news Helen Adams, chair of Tourism Society Scotland said:
“We’re thrilled that Edinburgh is hosting the 2017 Symposium and we look forward to welcoming delegates to Scotland next June. We’re working closely with The Tourism Society team on an exciting agenda which will appeal to delegates from all over the UK. We will be announcing details of our international keynote speakers and guests in due course.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland said: “Tourism is the heartbeat of the Scottish economy, supporting communities and creating jobs, and we are delighted that the Tourism Society has awarded the 2017 Symposium to Edinburgh as host destination. As 2017 is the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, it is a fitting time to shine the spotlight on Scotland, and we look forward to welcoming delegates to the capital to experience the very best that this country has to offer.”
John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh said “Edinburgh welcomes over 4m visitors each year and delegates to the Symposium will be welcomed with a unique and stunning location. Marketing Edinburgh looks forward to working closely with the team to ensure a rich, diverse and memorable programme and we’re delighted that the city will play host to such an important event in 2017”.
Edinburgh welcomes hundreds of conferences and events from around the world each year and is uniquely placed to host the 2017 Symposium. In addition to the full-day conference, delegates will also enjoy a series of familiarisation trips as they explore the host city, which, when designated as a UNESCO city of literature was the first in UNESCO’s creative cities network.
