New effort to make area a go-to destination
Plans to turn Perth and Kinross into a leading Scottish events destination could take a step forward this week.
Councillors are set to meet tomorrow (Wednesday, January 22) to approve a new events strategy.
The purpose of the events strategy is to prioritise what Perth and Kinross Council should be doing to make sure the area is a top events destination, and to ensure events tourism makes a valuable contribution to the local economy.
However, a spokesperson for the council said it had “limited financial resources”, and therefore the new strategy is looking to balance both tourism growth with sustainable management.
Councillor Angus Forbes, convener of environment and infrastructure at Perth and Kinross Council, said: “We envision Perth and Kinross as a dynamic and innovative events destination, where exciting and inspiring events attract visitors from across the UK and even internationally, all year round.
“The aim is to develop strong partnerships with partner agencies and the private sector, supporting them to maximise the impact of their events and overall grow the value of events.
“This will support the development of vibrant and healthy city and town centres across the area.”
Events included in the new strategy include local events, regional and national events, and major events.
Over 700 events take place in the region every year, ranging from local galas and festivals to one-off sporting events.
A number of events each generate in excess of a net additional economic impact of over £1 million per year.
In addition to its own programme, the council can provide grant assistance to organisers through its event funding scheme.
The intention is however to see third party events move to a position of being self-sustaining, so they are encouraged to explore how their events can be independently financially sustained in the future.