March 22, 2022

News Scotland, publisher of The Times and Sunday Times Scotland and The Scottish Sun, has partnered with national tourism organisation VisitScotland to promote the Scottish Thistle Awards, which celebrate the very best of Scotland’s tourism and events industry.

The mutually beneficial partnership will allow News Scotland and VisitScotland to develop a deeper relationship and maximise opportunities around content, marketing and networking, showcasing what tourism can offer consumers, businesses and the wider economic community.

To drive awareness of the award and encourage nominations across the country, News Scotland titles will create editorial content to raise awareness among its regular audiences and the wider public leading up to, during and after the national event. This will include features around popular and emerging tourism destinations and areas of interest.

With features and supplements such as Alba, Scotland and the Best, and Sun Travel, News Scotland offers the ideal platforms to raise the profile of the Scottish Thistle Awards and what they mean to Scotland’s tourism industry.

The partnership will also lead to the creation of an exclusive readers’ awards, providing readers of The Times and Sunday Times Scotland and The Scottish Sun the opportunity to vote for a particular winner.

Richard Bogie, managing director of News Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with VisitScotland as media partners for the Scottish Thistle Awards – the pinnacle of recognition for the Scottish tourism and hospitality sector, which will be so crucial to rebuilding the economy in the post-Covid era. 

“Readers of our Scottish products – The Scottish Sun, The Times Scotland and The Sunday Times Scotland – love to travel in Scotland for long and short breaks. We look forward to joining VisitScotland in celebrating the industry in the run up to the awards over the coming year, and beyond.”

Steven Walker, Chairman of the Scottish Thistle Awards Industry Panel, said: “The Scottish Thistle Awards shine the spotlight on the very best of Scotland’s tourism industry.  

“Working with the well-known titles within the News Scotland group will help raise the profile of Scotland’s premier tourism awards and celebrate the enormous contribution the tourism and events industry makes to Scotland’s economy and beyond.”