Mission makes Dutch pitch

A group of Scottish tourism companies, including several from the Highlands, is due to visit Amsterdam today as part of a mission to grow the £76million Dutch visitor market.

Organised by VisitScotland and taking place at Schiphol Airport, the business development event will see 10 Scottish businesses meet key tour operators from the Netherlands.

After the US, Germany and France, the Netherlands is Scotland’s fourth biggest overseas market, as it attracts 157,000 Dutch visitors in 201 5 . The Netherlands has a number of direct air links to Scotland, including KLM’s six-times-a-week service betweenAmsterdam and Inverness, launched in May.

VisitScotland chief executive, Malcolm Roughead, said: “VisitScotland supports industry

“Netherlands is a key market for Scottish tourism”

in their aspirations to internationalise and to attract more business and income from international markets.

“Our mission is a costeffectiveway for Scottish businesses to maintain relationships and establish new ones with Dutch tour operators. Worth nearly £80million a year, the Netherlands is a key market for Scottish tourism and I’m sure the mission to Amsterdam will prove a beneficial experience for all of our partners.”

Grantown’s Speyside Wildlife, and cruise firm Loch Ness by Jacobite are among companies taking part in the mission, along with FreedomHotels, which operates hotels in Glencoe, Oban and Ballachulish.

Amsterdam is VisitScotland’s first European business development mission of 2016. It will be followed by 2016 missions to France, Spain and Germany.