Film tourism is set to be top of the agenda this year as national tourism organisation VisitScotland enters into partnership with movie giant Sony Pictures Entertainment for the second time.

Following the successes of the initial partnership between VisitScotland and Sony, which promoted the Da Vinci Code in a global campaign, the organisations will work together on the new family movie, The Water Horse, which will be released world-wide from the end of 2007. The announcement was made at a preview event for the Scottish Village at Tartan Week in New York on Friday, 29 March by representatives from Sony.

The promotion of Hollywood blockbuster The Da Vinci Code also involved VisitBritain and the French tourist board Maison de la France, and aimed to raise the profile of the locations that featured in the movie. The partnership resulted in major profile for Scotland in 40 countries around the world – and netted over £10 million of publicity for the country.  The promotion recently won a Gold Award from the Promotional Marketing Association of America.

The Water Horse movie is based on the popular children’s novel by ‘Babe’ author Dick King Smith and will feature special effects by WETA, the team behind the effects in Lord of the Rings, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia. It will be released in the USA in December 2007 and in the UK and rest of the world early next year.

Featuring a mythical monster, the movie will build on the existing world-wide interest in the myth of the Loch Ness monster, as well as giving VisitScotland an opportunity to promote the wealth of other myths and legends across Scotland. The movie was partly filmed in  the Highlands and Argyll and is sure to draw ‘set jetters’ – film fans who travel to visit movie locations – from around world.

VisitScotland’s Chairman Peter Lederer said: “The Da Vinci Code showed us all how important film tourism can be to Scotland, as well as the value of working in partnership with international organisations like Sony Pictures Entertainment. The Water Horse gives us a chance to appeal to a wide market of potential visitors, as well as focusing on the myths and legends that have made Scotland famous around the world. We believe that tourism is Scotland’s most important industry, and with major players like Sony working with us, we hope to bring opportunities for tourism businesses across the country.”

The Highlands and Loch Ness will have a major profile at Tartan Week, the annual celebration of all things Scottish, which starts in New York tomorrow. Part of VisitScotland’s ‘Scottish Village’ in Grand Central Station is dedicated to the Highlands, and will feature Loch Ness artifacts, including the original camera which took the first ‘Nessie’ pictures. Loch Ness Monster expert Adrian Shine will also be on hand to speak to New Yorkers. Adrian recently found fame in America when he featured in a popular TV advert for Toyota.

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: “Highland 2007 is very pleased to hear that VisitScotland is working with Sony Pictures to promote the Highlands of Scotland through the release of the new Water Horse film. Highland 2007 aims to showcase the Highlands and Islands as a great place to live and to visit and this new film potentially offers great opportunities to promote the Highlands, highlighting the area and its beautiful scenery to a wide audience throughout the world.”

For the latest information on what is happening at Tartan Week visit www.tartanweekny.com

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:
Donna Black, Press Manager
VisitScotland
Telephone: 0131 472 2219
Mobile: 07770 728367
Email: donna.black@visitscotland.com
Pager: 07699 766986 (for out of hours press enquiries)

Note to editors

• VisitScotland has three key roles: to attract visitors to Scotland, to engage with partners in the industry and to add value to the visitor experience.
• VisitScotland is working with the tourism industry and other partners to achieve a 50 per cent growth in tourism revenues for Scotland by 2015.
• The organisation employs over 1,000 people and has 15 offices from London to Lerwick.
• For every £1 VisitScotland spends on promotion £14.50 is generated in return on behalf of Scotland’s tourism industry.
• Tourism employs 200,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The industry generates £4.2billion revenue (5 per cent of GDP).
• Tourism supports around 9 per cent of employment in Scotland (13 per cent in the Highlands).
• VisitScotland’s press releases can be found on www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.htm
• For holiday information on Scotland go to http://www.visitscotland.com