Visit Scotland Advert

WildWater

Have you seen the visit Scotland advert current being shown on RTE? Impressive ad and would make you want to visit Scotland. But not only that...

There is a subtle but clear message: Scotland welcomes campervans





Shame our lot just don't seem to get it!

In case you haven't seen it...

http://www.youtube.com/v/6i63UReFH4M

Tempting. Maybe not this year but definitely on the list.

killalanerr

i have done it a couple of times on the motorbike its a lovely part of the world,i have never taken the van but i saw lots of vans when i was their

*Kol*

WildWater wrote: »

Shame our lot just don't seem to get it!

I would live to visit there too and the Adverts are nice.

I am just wondering what "our lot" dont get?

WildWater

*Kol* wrote: »

I would live to visit there too and the Adverts are nice.

I am just wondering what "our lot" dont get?

Ever see Board Failte or local authorities promote or encourage camper van holidays in Ireland? Not me.

*Kol*

WildWater wrote: »

Ever see Board Failte or local authorities promote or encourage camper van holidays in Ireland? Not me.

No I haven't TBH. An area they could exploit if they don't already.

WildWater

Actually I was just reflecting on that as I made a coffee and to be fair I should give credit where its due.

South Dublin County Council run a very good site at Camac Valley and Mayo Co. Co. were party to the development of the 'Aire' in Crossmolina.

HereAndThere

Would love todo Scotland. Went to Loch Ness on a bus trip from Edinburgh a few years back. Bus broke down at Loch Ness for a good few hours but honestly this was the best part of the trip. Lots of places to pull over and go rambling.

As for Bord Failte, it really is a pity they don't advertise like this.

Can we lobby them?

WildWater

Scotland is definitely on our list of places that we what to go but this year we are planning to stay in Ireland. We were in scotland BC (before kids, and before camper so maybe that should be BCx2 ) but on that trip we did not get to the highlands and that where I would really like to go. Perhaps Easter 2013.

demoreino

Scotland sure looks like somewhere I would like to wander around sometime. Not totally unlike our own lovely little island here. Rugged, wild, picturesque, friendly .
As regards Failte Ireland ( Board Failte ) promoting motorhoming / campervanning in Ireland , I really dont think thats going to happen anytime soon. Before I started my motorhome rental business in early 2009 I did a wholelot of market research and searched everywhere I possibly could for facts and figures and likely demand for my service. During a visit to my local County Enterprise Board I mentioned Failte Ireland as a source for help / advice.
I was told by a senior member of the board that Failte Ireland was " ran by hoteliers for hoteliers " and to be honest from what I have seen since, this is exactly what they are. Because of this , can you really see anyone from Failte Ireland promoting motorhoming tourism in Ireland. This will effect their own business so why promote a competitor. By competitor , I dont mean just rental companies, I mean every privately owned campervan in the country is considered a nuisance by the same Failte Ireland officials.
Kevin www.iwmotorhomes.ie

HereAndThere

Good points on Bord Failte.

Although while the Hotel industry isn't doing so well I have heard from a number of people that Hotels are letting them park their MH overnight so long as you are using the Hotels facilities i.e. bar.

I plan on doing this at a few weddings this summer but will check with Hotels first.

IMO Ireland needs competition in the tourism sector, nothing like lots of choices to open up the market and get people visiting again. Hotels and B&Bs (Bord Failte) should cater for motorhomers too - any visitor spending some money is worthwhile, why not have facilities for motorhomes in some of the desolate Hotels that are situated in the arse hole of nowhere, after all we now own alot of these hotels through NAMA.

At least some B&Bs are signing up to this - safenights for example.

Rant over.

WildWater

Well I can't say that Kevin's comments re Failte Ireland come as any surprise. Why is it that so many County Councils, State Body etc in this country are so heavily populated by narrow mind people there to promote/protect their own self interest at all cost?

I grew up in a family business and I remember when a major national competitor was planning to come to our town. I though my parents would be dead against it but no. I can still remember my mother saying "it will be good for the town, they will attract more people to town and that will be good". That must be nearly 30 years ago the major national competitor came and are still there but so to is the family business.

Unfortunately the current Town Council of said town has a track record of blocking major intentional outlets from locating in town. Why? Well apparently keeping out competition has a lot to do with it! Hardly, very enlightened.

Getting back to tourism. The way I see it is one form of tourism complements another. Campers, backpackers, motorhomes and the vast numbers of unidentifiable (with respect to a grouping) of people who stay in B&B's and hostels don't tend to directly benefit the hotel industry. But their spend in a region greatly helps tourist related business to survive that that makes the region more attractive to those that wish to come and stay in hotels.

An excellent example of enlightened thinking in the tourism sector is the Brennan brothers in At Your Service. The raw logic would be for the hoteliers to say fe*k those B&B. But the Brennan's understand market segmentation and the importance of having more in a location for a visitor to enjoy than just the hotel.

What's hurting the hotel trade most in this country at the moment is the NAMA hotels that are only operating to keep the lights on in the vain hope that sometime they might offload it as a going concern. So many are dead ducks but NAMA or what ever bank is owed millions on the property can't afford to close them. If they do their value will plummet further and faster than the underwear of a lady (man even) of dubious virtue. And unlike said underwear, if they close the door and turn off the lights the value of the property will never rise again.

Oh boy I didn't intend that :rolleyes: Rant over --- honest.

aerosol

I did 2 weeks in West Scotland last summer in the van.Its a great place for campers,even better for tents. Wildcamped for the majority of it in some stunning places.

mc_attack

just stumbled across this now, and reminded me of an article I read in the irish independent

"Scotland attracted nine million visitors in 2009 at a cost of €55m while Ireland enticed just 6.9 million visitors that year at a cost of €145m"

money well spent another example

"Ireland's marketing spend per arrival was €7.40, or almost eight times that of France and almost 19 times that of Italy."