About Us

Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) is a non-profit making unincorporated association whose overall aim is to make Edinburgh one of Europe’s premier capital city destinations, by offering visitors a first class tourism experience.

Structure and operation

ETAG's main forum is the Full Group, which comprises 25 representives from across Edinburgh's tourism sector.  ETAG is supported by Scottish Enterprise, who provide both project management and financial resources where appropriate. 

Meetings

The ETAG Full Group meets approximately every 2 months and the agenda, minutes, presentations and updates from the meetings can be found here.

ETAG Steering Group

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.

Robin chaired the Tourism Innovation Group for 3 years 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 and sits on the National Tourism Industry Leadership Group.

Richard Kington, Vice Chair of ETAG

Richard Kington is the Director of Accommodation Services at Edinburgh University, which operates as Edinburgh First.  As well as providing a range of residential accommodation for 5,800 students, Edinburgh First provide year round facilities for conferences and corporate events, venues for the festivals and are the single largest accomodation provider in the city during the summer months.

Richard has been Vice Chair of ETAG since July 2010 and also sits on the Board of Marketing Edinburgh.

Manuela Calchini

As Regional Director for East Central Scotland, Manuela acts as VisitScotland’s local champion representing the organisation in all of its stakeholder engagement activity at regional and local levels for Edinburgh & Lothians. 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 Scottish Enterprise's representative on ETAG. Scottish Enterprise plays a crucial role in growing the impact of tourism on the economy, with its activity focused on high impact business development and product enhancement projects.  Scottish Enterprise provides staff and funding resources to support ETAG's activity. 

Graham Birse

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

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.

ETAG Full Group

The ETAG Full Group consists of the Steering Group members as above, together with the following representatives from across Edinburgh's tourism sector:

• David Cochrane, HIT Scotland
• Elaine Green, Lothian Buses
• Colin Paton, Portland Hotels
• Faith Liddell, Festivals Edinburgh
• Pete Williamson, Nation Museum Enterprises
• Ros Lamont, The Audience Business
• Denzil Skinner, Essential Edinburgh 
• Margaret McLeod, Scottish Tour Guide Association
• Catherine Holden, National Museums of Scotland
• Graeme Ward, Radical Travel
• Sue Stuart, Marketing Edinburgh Convention Bureau
• David Hinnrichs, Hotel & Guest House Association

• Dennis Jones, Ocean Terminal

• Michelle McLeod, Ocean Terminal

• Malcolm Duck, Edinburgh Restaurateurs Association
• Ian Gardner, National Trust Scotland
• Gordon Robertson, BAA Edinburgh Airport
• Paul Philip, City of Edinburgh Council
• Anna Lightbody, Edinburgh and Lothians Area Tourism Partnership
• Quintin Young, Edinburgh and Lothians Area Tourism Partnership
• David Hicks, Edinburgh World Heritage
• Ali Bowden, City of Literature
  

Annual Action Plans

You can download the 2011-12 ETAG Action Plan here 

Industry Engagement

The tourism sector in Edinburgh is made up of some 3000 businesses, many of which are represented by collaborative industry groups and associations. In turn these Edinburgh groups are represented within the ETAG membership on the ETAG Full Group.

An ETAG Annual Conference is also held each year, with speakers and workshop events held around a specific theme. Attendance is open to all businesses and organisations with an interest in tourism in Edinburgh. A small fee is chargeable for attendance.