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One of a Kind

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Nine out of ten Scots agree that visitors experience kindness in Scotland, a VisitScotland survey has revealed in the run-up to St Andrew’s Day.

In a poll commissioned by the national tourism organisation, survey respondents were asked how strongly they agreed that visitors to Scotland experience kindness during their stay, of which 50% strongly agreed and 40% agreed somewhat. 

The ScotPlus survey of 1200 residents was issued.to coincide with the Scottish Government campaign encouraging the people of Scotland to make someone’s day and carry out #onekindact this St Andrew’s Day, or attend one of the more than 100 St Andrew’s Fair Saturday events happening across the country. 

Participants were also asked to share any examples they knew of a gesture of kindness towards visitors with many cases involving visitors being given directions or being taken to their destination, particularly in rural areas of Scotland.

A selection of examples from the survey:

“I recently found an American couple wandering around South Queensferry. They had come off a cruise ship anchored in the Forth and missed the coach that was taking them and others into Edinburgh. I gave them a lift into Edinburgh after finding out where the coach was going first and met the coach.”

“ [A] visitor missed [their] tour bus back to visiting liner [on Orkney]. Local resident drove them to the boat, a round trip of 38 miles.”

“I met a German tourist on the union canal near Linlithgow who was walking the John Muir Way. We started talking and he told me, the previous night a lady he had just met invited him into her home for the night to save him camping in the snow.”

“American tourist came to Orkney to get married and her case was lost in transit, so locals donated clothes etc for her and her groom to allow them to marry.”

Tour guides across Scotland not only offer kindness but have also been struck by the kindness offered to them. Alasdair Northrop, Blue Badge Tourist Guide and Marketing Chair of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association recalls one occasion when he was assisted by a local bus company and the local authorities to ensure the passengers on his coach were not stranded on the Isle of Mull. 

He said:

In 2017 Scotland was voted the most welcoming country in the world by Rough Guide readers, while nine out of ten visitors said they were made to feel welcome in the 2015/2016 Scotland Visitor Survey. 

 Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “Everything we do is about showcasing a destination and visitor experience worth talking about and kind acts like these enhance Scotland’s friendly reputation across the globe, which is one of the reasons why visitors travel to our shores. “We hope people across the tourism sector continue to make our visitors feel welcome and show one kind act on St Andrew’s Day and beyond.”

The St Andrew’s Day campaign was launched on World Kindness Day (13 November) with a message board of post-it notes in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street subway station with each note suggesting a kind act to follow.

People are encouraged to get involved in the conversation online using the hashtags #OneKindAct and #ScotlandisNow.

The campaign marked the start of Scotland’s Winter Festivals. Supported with £400,000 from the Scottish Government, the Festivals’ programme encourages communities to come together in celebration of Scotland’s national days, including Hogmanay and Burns Night.

For more information about St Andrew’s Day, visit scotland.org/standrewsday

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One of a Kind

Survey offers insights into kindness towards visitors in Scotland

Asset type post
ID 111242
Word count 700 words

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