Gin festival a tonic for tourism sector
Stirling’s Gin Festival is set to expand next year following sell-out 2016 tastings which were praised for boosting the city’s economy.
An extra session will be added to the 2017 festival, organised by Stirling Whisky Shop, thanks to an increasing demand which saw 700 tickets snapped up just days after being launched.
The two-day Gin Festival, held at the Highland Hotel earlier this month, was commended by Stirling Provost Mike Robbins for attracting a host of tourists and visitors to the city.
He said: “The Stirling Gin Festival is a fantastic attraction which brings people into the city and provides something a bit different. It’s proving a real boost to the local economy because, not only do you have visitors coming in for the day, but many also stay overnight which is a real benefit for our hotels and other businesses. There’s a knock-on effect for local traders which can only be a good thing.
“I attended the event and it was great to see Stirling people mixing with visitors from all over Scotland and England and I even met some real enthusiasts who had travelled from the USA and Canada.
“The feedback was very positive about both the festival and the city of Stirling and it’s a real plus to have events like this held here.”
The annual Gin Festival is organised by Bridge of Allan couple June and Cameron McCann, cofounders of Stirling Whisky Shop, with help from their daughter Elle. The family firm also runs the Stirling Whisky Festival with the next event taking place on Saturday May 6 next year.
June said: “We were overwhelmed by the success of this year’s Stirling Gin Festival. We had so many people asking us when they can buy tickets for next year’s tastings. We’ve already decided to run an extra session next year holding three tastings instead of two which means more people have the chance to come along.”
The first Stirling Gin Festival was held in November 2014 and since then has gradually attracted more gin companies and increased visitors.