The arrival of V&A Dundee could provide a knock-on tourism boom for its Fife neighbours, according to VisitScotland.
Manuela Calchini, the body’s regional partnership director made the comment as a national touring exhibition pulled up in Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery this week.
The 17-week Design in Motion tour, a collaboration with the Travelling Gallery, aims to inspire people of all ages about the role design places in Scotland’s cultural identity.
The tour will visit more than 70 venues across Scotland and future locations include cities such as Glasgow and Aberdeen, as well as rural locations across the Highlands and Islands, including Lewis, Harris and Skye. Venues range from secondary schools and art colleges to museums, community centres and libraries.
Ms Calchini said: “V&A Dundee will be a vital addition to the Tayside and Fife tourism offering. It will undoubtedly attract more visitors to this fantastic part of Scotland.
“The arrival of such a world-class attraction, particularly as we move towards the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, is a fantastic opportunity for tourism businesses in the Kingdom.
“This is the chance for them to hone, develop and perfect their products so that when visitors flock to V&A Dundee they are compelled to extend their trip and explore the vast array of events, activities and attractions that Fife offers.
“Tourism is at the heart of Fife’s economy, sustaining communities and creating jobs. With a fantastic mix of history and heritage, not to mention a renowned natural larder and of course the home of golf at St Andrews, the Kingdom of Fife is the ideal location to visit and do business.”
The most recent visitor figures show that in 2013 more than 646,000 trips were made to Fife, with the Kirkcaldy Museum & Art Gallery alone attracting over 107,000 visits.
Work is underway on the £80.1m V&A Dundee which is expected to open in June 2018 at the city’s waterfront.