ETAG Steering Group

In addition to input from the following members of the ETAG Steering Group or Managing Committee, the work of ETAG is supported and progressed by around 30 additional Full Group members. From time to time a number of Project Champions from within the Edinburgh tourism industry may also be co-opted. ETAG also has an online community of interested individuals and tourism businesses and organisations who have registered to receive Edinburgh tourism news, information and updates and to obtain access to key reports.

Robin Worsnop, Chair of ETAG

Robin Worsnop is Managing Director and founder of Rabbie’s Trail Burners, the small group tour company based in Edinburgh. Rabbie’s was established in 1993 and operates tours from both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Since 2007 he has been Chairman of the Tourism Innovation Group, and has been a keen advocate of a sustainable tourism industry in Scotland and Edinburgh, championing ETAG’s Sustainable Urban Tourism Strategy. He served on the management team of Pride and Passion in 2006. Robin is also on the management group of the Edinburgh Capital Group, the organisation representing attractions, theatres and tours in Edinburgh.

David Cochrane

After education in Edinburgh & studying hospitality at Sheffield University, David started working for the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh. He left there to join Gardner Merchant as a chef manager. This training experience led him into the Hotel and Catering Training Company. David has been the Training Manager at the internationally renowned Gleneagles hotel in Perthshire. He developed his passion for developing people to their full potential at Gleneagles.

Most recently, David was awarded the Industry Award from the Hospitality Industry Trust for Scotland, for services to the hospitality industry in Scotland. He has now joined the Trust and is shaping its direction for the next phase of development.

Sinead Feltoe

As Regional Director for East Central Scotland, Sinéad acts as VisitScotland’s local champion representing the organisation in all of its stakeholder engagement activity at regional and local levels for Edinburgh & Lothians and the Forth Valley. Based in the VisitScotland main office in Ocean Point, Edinburgh, she works with key public and private sector partners, of which ETAG is a key player, to help grow the visitor economy in the local area.

Margaret McNeil

Margaret McNeil is Industries, Commercialisation and Innovation Manager at Scottish Enterprise in Edinburgh. She is Scottish Enterprise 's representative on the ETAG Full Group and also on the Steering Group. Scottish Enterprise plays a crucial role in growing the impact of tourism on the economy, with its activity focused on high impact business development, skills and product enhancement projects.

Graham Birse

Graham Birse is Deputy CEO of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, current UK Chamber of the Year. He is a Board Member of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau and of the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance.

He was Director of Customer Development for Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board from 2001 to 2005 and Director of Communications for VisitScotland from 1988-2001.

Kenneth Wardrop

Kenneth Wardrop is an economic development and tourism professional with 25 years experience working in economic development. From 2005-2008 Kenneth was the Interim Head of Economic Development with the City of Edinburgh Council responsible for Economic Policy and Strategy, Regeneration, Tourism, Edinburgh's Winter Festivals, and Access to Training and Employment.

In May 2008, Kenneth was seconded by the City of Edinburgh Council to lead the new city promotion body, the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance Ltd (DEMA), where he is now Interim Chief Executive. Kenneth is also a Director of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau Ltd, a Visiting Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University in the School of Marketing, Tourism and Languages, and is on the committee of the Tourism Society Scotland.

The ETAG Full Group consists of the Steering Group members as above, together with the following members who are representative of different types of tourism business and/or represent other tourist industry associations or collaborative bodies:

• Barbara Smith, Edinburgh Castle
• Iain Coupar, Lothian Buses
• Colin Paton, Portland Hotels
• Faith Liddell, Edinburgh Festivals
• Richard Kington, University of Edinburgh
• Gillian Swanney, Scottish Enterprise
• Lesley Williams, Prestige
• Margaret McLeod, STGA
• Catherine Holden, NMS
• Doug McKenzie, Forth Ports
• Alastair Campbell, Radical Travel
• Euan Loudon, Edinburgh Military Tattoo
• Sue Stuart, Edinburgh Convention Bureau
• David Hinnrichs, Hotel & Guest House Association
• Dennis Jones, Ocean Terminal
• Malcolm Duck, Edinburgh Restaurateurs Association
• Ian Gardner, National Trust Scotland