VisitBritain announces its sponsorship of the 2004 Scottish Thistle Award for Best Marketing Initiative today at the VisitScotland Expo in Aberdeen (21 and 22 April). Scottish tourism businesses are invited to submit entries under the category, which recognises their contributions to boosting visitors to Scotland from the UK and around the world.

Stephen Farrant, Head of Strategic Partnerships at VisitBritain, said:

"With 12 categories rewarding excellence in Scottish tourism, VisitScotland's annual Thistle Awards are the industry's ultimate accolade.

"VisitBritain works closely with VisitScotland to market Scotland in key countries around the world and our sponsorship of this award recognises the innovation and marketing skills of tourism businesses in raising the profile of Scotland as a business and leisure destination."

Every year, Scotland is the destination of choice for around 1.6 million international visitors, who spend £806 million exploring the beautiful countryside and coastline, enjoying breaks in cities and towns and discovering the cultural and historic appeals of this part of Britain. Nearly a fifth choose to take advantage of Scotland's superb business facilities, such as the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre - venue for VisitScotland Expo 2004 - and Gleneagles Hotel, recently voted Best UK Incentive Hotel by the readers of Meetings and Incentive Travel magazine.

In 2004 VisitBritain is again working with VisitScotland on how best to present the unique appeal of Scottish destinations and tourism businesses through VisitBritain's new international marketing campaigns for 'City Breaks', 'Good Living' and 'Touring'. Other international campaigns and activities on which VisitBritain and VisitScotland have collaborated include the recent European Short Breaks Campaign, a programme on Glasgow for Chinese television, the inclusion of Scotland in Emirates Holidays' 2004/05 brochure, business seminars on key overseas markets and spring campaigns in VisitBritain's Europe South region.

The destination is also a highly popular choice for British residents - 18.5 million visited in 2002, spending £3.7 billion. Recent domestic campaigns launched by VisitScotland include the new city break campaign MyVisitScotland, Romantic Scotland, the new fishing and angling website, fishScotland.com, as well as walking and cycling breaks.

Entries for the VisitBritain Best Marketing Initiative Award must detail the objectives and research behind creative marketing activities and demonstrate the evaluation methods used to assess its success. VisitBritain will present the award at a ceremony and gala dinner on 29 October 2004 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Visitors to VisitScotland Expo will find VisitBritain at stands M7 and M8. Further information about the Scottish Thistle Awards is available from the dedicated hotline on 0131 557 5789 or online at www.scotexchange.net/thistleawards.