Dundee’s future as a global tourism destination will be discussed at an event in the city on Friday.
More than 100 travel and tourism experts, economists, business leaders and others will meet for a conference in the shadow of the V&A, organised by VisitScotland.
The Tourism Design For Success session will discuss how the opening of the city’s new, multi million pound museum in September will act as a boon for not just Dundee’s economy, but the wider North East area.
The conference will also look to ensure local businesses and organisations are ready to take full advantage of the throngs of people expected to head to the area.
Participants will be encouraged to “step into the shoes of potential visitors”, consider their interests and motivations and anticipate the customer experience from the moment people arrive in Dundee.
Perth, Fife, Angus and the Mearns are all set to experience a bump in visitors following the museum opening, according to industry experts, with as many as 500,000 people expected to flock to Dundee in its inaugural year.
The exhibition – which will be held in Discovery Point – coincides with the news that 40% of visitors to Dundee and Angus come to see a single attraction.
It also follows a first glimpse of the V&A’s first travelling exhibit, Ocean Liners: Speed and Style earlier this week.
Dundee has enjoyed a raft of world recognition in the last 12 months, as anticipation builds for the opening of the first V&A outside London.
The City of Discovery been touted as one of world’s must-visit destinations in 2018 across some of the planet’s’ most well-read publications.
The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg cited Dundee as one of the top places for tourists to visit this year and broadcast giant CNN included the city in a list of the world’s most “design-savvy” cities.
CNN Style – a branch of the American news channel dedicated to features on travel, fashion, architecture and the arts – has listed Dundee in its top seven list of the most eye-catching locations to visit, alongside Paris, Tokyo, Toronto, Muscat, Tbilisi and San Miguel de Allende.
