Tourism cheif meets Guizer Jarl

SCOTLAND’S new tourism chief is making his first visit to Shetland to meet the local industry and witness the islands’ famous fire festival Up Helly Aa.

VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead will meet industry representatives and the councillors on Monday after being invited up by the recently formed visitor organisation Promote Shetland.

The Shetland body was set up 18 months ago with the help of £450,000 from the council following tensions with VisitScotland, with councillors claiming the islands were not being promoted properly.

Since then relations have improved and Mr Roughead’s visit is expected to endorse the new state of affairs when he meets the council’s tourism and culture panel before attending the civic reception for the Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad at Lerwick Town Hall on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Roughead said: “Worth over £16 million to Shetland, tourism is of huge importance to the islands. Through my meetings with local stakeholders, I hope to learn more about the ambitions and concerns of local businesses and agencies, and discuss opportunities for continued collaboration and growth, identifying areas where VisitScotland can help provide marketing support.”

“In such a challenging economic climate it’s more important than ever that we work together to identify areas for growth and I’m really looking forward to my visit, and of course, to witnessing Up Helly Aa, a spectacle I’ve wanted to see for many years.”