VisitScotland`s initiative, as promoted by Lord Watson in his Scottish
Government Tourism Framework for Action, outlines the absolute necessity for
the industry to get to grips with electronic and e-business marketing.
GOScotland.Info has been launched this summer in line with this, as an
important provider of Internet business opportunity through the promotion of
private sector tourist service providers. The company will be involved as
part of the overall important link, that private sector technology operators
will bridge between tourists and business service providers.

CEO of GoScotland.info, John Bruce says: “The tourism market in now entering
a new important phase where consolidation and investment are crucial.
GoScotland.Info has received £250,000 funding from private investors, which
represents a new confidence in quality web businesses and the global benefit
that it offers this industry. GOScotland.info embraces this style of
business with expertise drawn from a sound knowledge of tourism requirements
as well as input from strategic web development, sales and marketing. The
potential for business subscribers to the site is in excess of 20,000 to
provide in-depth coverage of all suppliers.”

The e-business portal service offers information of nationwide tourist
operators and service providers who subscribe to the portal, across fourteen
different business types.  Enquirers visiting the website will find full
booking facilities to arrange the holiday that they want by direct
communication with whichever service provider that they need to use, from
accommodation through to equipment and transport purchase and hire.

The launch comes at a time when the government has recognised the important
role that such electronic marketing and trading will provide. As well as
helping to fill the investment gap in the Scottish tourist industry,
companies such as GoScotland.Info will help to bring greater continuity and
organisation to the industry by providing a single cohesive forum for
sellers to do full justice to the services that they offer.

John Bruce the director of GoScotland.Info states, “Private companies that
offer a comprehensive, flexible and responsive service will be a very
important part of the whole drive to restore Scottish Tourism`s flagging
fortunes.  The government must realise the need to give full support to
privately owned and run e-business portals such as GoScotland.Info.  This
will lead the way in helping to revive international interest in Scotland as
a tourist destination.”

With a full grading and accreditation system and a visitor experience and
comments page the guess work and gambling will be taken out of finding a
consistently high quality of service from the comprehensive business
subscribers.

At the same time as GOScotland.Info launched, VisitScotland set out its
intentions for a Public Private Partnership with Schlumberger Sema as the
preferred bidder.  Many businesses that can be vitally instrumental in
pushing the forward new initiative are distinctive and complementary to
VisitScotland and form an essential media mix for multi-site publicity.
The understandable belief was that private industry partnership support
would be inclusive, non preferential and across the board.

John Bruce states, “GoScotland. Info alone is seeking to get 3000
subscribers within the first few months of business.  We are looking at
promoting a vigorous and prosperous new tourist industry with business
benefit for all. Rather than working in competition to the detriment of many
operators, business and the economy would benefit much more over the long
term, if VisitScotland worked in conjunction with all of the business
community.

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