What’s your job title?
Regional Director – Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian

On a day-to-day basis, what do you do at work?
I have been working at VisitScotland for over 10 years now, in various industry and visitor facing roles, currently in the role of Regional Director, covering Edinburgh and the Lothians. The role involves helping to drive the visitor economy responsibly and sustainably, working collaboratively with tourism related partners across the region. My role is to work with colleagues to benefit the region, whether that be relating to events, business development, marketing, sustainability, the list goes on.

In Edinburgh specifically, I sit on the ETAG steering group and full group, as well as being a member of Edinburgh’s Visitor Economy Partnership, which involves working with businesses across all elements of Edinburgh’s visitor economy, which includes the development and delivery of Edinburgh’s Visitor Economy Action Plan.

Additionally, over the last year, I’ve been working with the six local authorities across the Edinburgh & South East Scotland region to lead on the development and delivery of four exciting regional tourism projects that sit within the region’s economic strategy, where fortunately tourism is deemed a top priority. These projects include visitor data, cultural tourism, cycling tourism and the Forth. 

 Where did your career in tourism begin?
My tourism career began when I was 16 and still at school, when I took on my first job The Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, working in Room Service. I loved working in an industry that helped enhance the visitor experience and therefore enhance visitor’s holidays. More importantly, I got to serve burgers and beers to a number of top celebrities … my favourite being the Ghana national football team! 

When I left school, I studied Geography at the University of St Andrews. Whilst this didn’t (in any way) aid my career in tourism, it did allow me to understand where Scotland was on the world map! During the summer holidays, my hotel experience inspired me to apply for a job in the Edinburgh iCentre (then called the Tourist Information Centre). I did this for 3 summers and absolutely loved it – inspiring visitors and giving recommendations for how best to enjoy their holiday in Scotland. I then went abroad for a year, but was always keeping an eye out for VisitScotland vacancies for my return.

I subsequently applied to be a Quality & Tourism Advisor, and following that, I moved to Aberdeen and had a variety of others roles at VisitScotland, before moving to coastal Fife and becoming one of VisitScotland’s team of Regional Directors.

What do you love about your job?
I love the collaborative aspect of the job –  everything is a team effort, and I enjoy working with colleagues to help make a positive difference. Sometimes this means having a conversation about a project or a vision, and seeing it come to life. One recent example of that would be Lost Shore Surf Resort, the £55 million investment out in Ratho. I remember speaking to their founder, Andy Hadden, at a golf event about 5 years ago when it was simply an idea. Fast forward five years, I was honoured to be at the official opening to see the world class, truly unique, destination that they’ve created. It was a pleasure to have played a very small role in helping to bring this to life. 

In once sentence how would you sell Edinburgh to a potential visitor?
Edinburgh is a place like no other – it is a captivating blend of history, culture, and natural beauty … where else can you explore ancient castles, vibrant festivals, stunning landscapes, and welcoming people, all in one city?!

What’s your favourite place in Edinburgh and why?
The Water of Leith – growing up in Balerno, to the West Of Edinburgh, my youth was often spent cycling from the start of the Water of Leith along the river, through the city, to the coast. Whilst we don’t necessarily think of Edinburgh as a ‘river’ city as we do Copenhagen or London, it is a fantastic asset. Edinburgh actually has one of the highest percentages of green space based on population among UK cities – around half of the city is green space, including parks, gardens, and natural landscapes!

What advice would you give someone considering a career in tourism?
The first piece of advice would be that it is, and can be, a career, not a short term job. The variety of opportunities is phenomenal, and I’ve seen first-hand examples of people (with or without qualifications) starting work in a bar, hotel, or visitor attraction, identifying their passion and their talent, and progressing their careers in amazing ways.

We’re celebrating the past 25 years of tourism in Edinburgh, but looking forward what would you like to see happen in next 25 years for Edinburgh as tourist destination?
I’d like to see the continued focus on quality, to continually meet and exceed the ever increasing visitor expectations, to retain our position as a top global visitor destination.

Our collective regional aim is to be the ‘data capital of Europe’, which highlights the ambition, vision and opportunity to use data and tech to create something truly special, even if currently unimaginable to envisage what it will be like in 2050!

We are also very likely to introduce a visitor levy in Edinburgh, and based on rough calculations, by 2050 this could generate £1 BILLION to be spent on enhancing the visitor economy in a sustainable and responsible way for the benefit of visitors, businesses, communities and residents alike. If spent wisely and collaboratively, this could have a transformational impact, and it is exciting that we will all have a role to play in its development, and to see this investment come to fruition.