One in five international tourists want to visit a Scotch whisky experience during their time in Scotland
SCOTTISH tourism leaders have backed Scotch whisky to play a key role in the resurgence of the industry as Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the global visitor attraction for the world’s number one Scotch brand, unveiled a major new tourism advertising campaign.
At the heart of the campaign is the largest advertising installation ever seen at Edinburgh Airport, estimated to welcome over six million passengers to the city in the remainder of 2022 alone, as part of Diageo’s global efforts to sell Scotland and Scotch to the world. The travel hub celebrated its first 1 million passenger month since 2019 in May 2022.
At the launch of the campaign at Edinburgh Airport, tourism leaders highlighted the power of Scotch whisky brands like Johnnie Walker to attract visitors to Scotland.
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VisitScotland Regional Director, Neil Christison said: “After a difficult two years for tourism, Scotland is open, and we are excited to be welcoming back visitors once more.
“We know Scotland’s history, heritage and culture are key motivators to visit with Scotch whisky part of this appeal, attracting millions of visitors per year. Whisky tourism plays an important role in the visitor experience, particularly for our international visitors, with one in five visiting a whisky experience as part of their trip.
“We know there is pent-up demand to travel to Scotland and we look forward to seeing more visitors return to Edinburgh Airport and Johnnie Walker Princes Street over the coming months.”
Gordon Dewar, Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive, said: “We’re passionate about promoting Edinburgh as a destination and highlighting some of the wonderful things the city has to offer. Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a fantastic addition to Edinburgh’s vast offering, and as one of the capital’s newest attractions it’s something passengers – and local whisky lovers – will be keen to explore and maybe even sample a dram or two.
“As an airport we’ve just marked our first 1million passenger month since 2019, and we can see the appetite for travel returning at a fast pace as many people take a long-awaited holiday. We’re glad to be working with Diageo on delivering this eye-catching new installation – showcasing an iconic Scottish brand to those passengers as they arrive at the terminal.”
Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Diageo’s Scotland Brand Homes, said: “We were delighted to learn from our colleagues at Edinburgh Airport that passenger numbers for May have reached 1million, so now seems the perfect time to unveil our installation at Scotland’s most important international travel hub. It’s fantastic to see consumer confidence bouncing back so strongly, and we’re looking forward to a busy summer of international guests.”
The 410m2 photo of the iconic Edinburgh castle, taken from Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s rooftop 1820 Bar, will be seen by an estimated six million passengers in the remainder of 2022 alone.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street has played host to guests from across the globe since opening in September 2021. Now that consumer confidence is returning in earnest, and with VisitScotland data showing one in five tourists enjoy a whisky experience while they are in Scotland, Johnnie Walker is gearing up for a busy summer welcoming back international visitors.
Sitting at the heart of Diageo’s £185million pound investment in Scotch whisky tourism in Scotland, the experience takes visitors on an immersive journey through the 200-year-old history behind the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky. From personalised tours and rooftop bars serving seriously creative cocktails paired with world class food, to state of the art experiential retail and much more besides, there’s plenty for tourist to be excited about across the eight floor, 71,500 square foot venue.
Advance pre-booking of experiences is highly recommended. Tickets for the Johnnie Walker Princes Street tours start from £28, which includes a 90-minute tour and three personalised Scotch whisky drinks.
To book an experience, sign up to the Johnnie Walker Princes Street mailing list or for more information, please visit www.johnniewalkerprincesstreet.com.
