Ayrshire's top tourism job is axed

May 14 2008 Ayrshire Post

AYRSHIRE’S tourist chief has quit her top job.

VisitScotland’s area director Catriona Mackie took voluntary redundancy in the same week it was revealed that visitor numbers in Ayrshire have risen by 7.2 per cent.

And tourist bosses insist that the move is part of an ongoing restructuring process, which is based on a more centralised service.

The local office, which has 20 remaining staff, will be taken under the wing of new regional director Sandi Hellowell, whose patch includes Ayrshire.

A spokesman said: “I must emphasise that these are not compulsory redundancies. In each case the person involved volunteered for redundancy.

“Ayrshire will continue to be supported by some of the 900 staff whose job it is to promote Scotland.

“While not everyone is based in Ayrshire they will support Ayrshire and Arran staff in different ways.”

However, Ayr MSP John Scot fears that a centralised service could be bad news for Ayrshire.

He said: “I have concerns about the loss of this post in that the interests of Ayrshire could be neglected in favour of the greater Glasgow area.

“The latest figures suggest that more and more people want to visit this area, it should be promoted as the riviera of Scotland and I am concerned that this just won’t happen if Ayrshire tourism is part of a centralised service.”

VisitScotland revealed this week that 1.3 million people visited Ayrshire in 2007, 7.2 per cent up on the previous year.

Burns National Heritage Park, Culzean Castle and Dean Castle were the top three attractions.

The Heads of Ayr Farm Park reported a fantastic 27.3 per cent increase in visitor numbers and Dundonald Castle experienced 26.3 per cent rise in the number of people through its gates.

New regional director Ms Hellowell said: “The wide range of visitor attractions across Ayrshire and Arran play a crucial part in our tourism industry, attracting visitors from Scotland, the rest of the UK and around the world. Whether it is our gardens or country parks, history or culture, museums or historic houses, this region offers some of the best sites in the world.

“The visitor attractions across Ayrshire and Arran play an important role in helping the tourism industry to reach its shared ambition of growing revenues from tourism by 50 per cent by 2015.”