Mon 7 April 2003

Tartan Day is muted affair ALASTAIR JAMIESON IN NEW YORK BITING winds and icy showers swept through Manhattan as thousands of pipers and drummers marched towards Central Park in the fifth annual Tartan Day celebrations. The gloomy weather reflected the mood of the gathering, with turnout much lower than last year’s high-profile event and fears that tourism business generated by American visitors to Scotland could slump by as much as six per cent as a result of the war in Iraq. The parade drew thin crowds of enthusiastic supporters and bemused shoppers as it continued up Sixth Avenue. "It is nothing like the St Patrick’s Day parade," admitted Prof Andrew Fulton, chairman of the Scottish North American Business Council, who took part in the march. "But that has been going a lot longer and Tartan Day is still growing. It is a great way of forging trade links and celebrating our culture." The muted tone of Saturday’s event was in stark contrast to last year’s festivities, which were joined by Sir Sean Connery and Jack McConnell. The former James Bond actor pulled out of this year’s parade claiming he would be too busy. However, it is understood Sir Sean, a well-known Nationalist, had been unhappy at being used as a "political football" at the 2002 parade when SNP supporters managed to get in front of the First Minister at the head of the march. The most high-profile politician at the commemoration was Edinburgh’s indefatigable Lord Provost, Eric Milligan. At the southern end of Central Park, the crowds cheered as the sound of Amazing Grace drifted through the drizzle. Michael van Kirk, 52, who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, said: "It is such a fantastic thing to hear, really nice music and fun people." Tourism chiefs acknowledged the parade had been overshadowed by the Iraq war, but said it played a crucial role in promoting Scotland to potential visitors from north America, which provides almost 30 per cent of the country’s tourists. A spokesman for VisitScotland said: "Things are difficult right now and the priority is really to try and prevent a fall in the numbers travelling across the Atlantic but the fact is that Americans will be less and less likely to fly over the longer the war goes on. We need to keep Scotland’s profile as high as possible over here." The spokesman would not put a figure on how much trade could be lost because of the war, but industry figures suggest around 6 per cent of total tourism revenue from the US could be wiped out.

Sunday, 30 March, 2003, 08:24 GMT 09:24 UK

Tuning up for Tartan Day

Tartan Day aims to encourage tourists to Scotland

A parade of pipers will launch a week of events aimed at celebrating the links between Scotland and North America.
Tourism body VisitScotland said that recognising and reaffirming those links would be the main priorities of Tartan Day.

The first of two Tunes of Glory parades will take place in Chicago on Saturday.

The second will be held in New York on 5 April, bringing the week of events to a close.

The Tartan Day parade will feature more than 2,000 pipers and drummers marching down Manhattan's Sixth Avenue.

Develop relationships

VisitScotland will co-host the parades with Dewar's Whisky, as well as hosting a number of "networking events" for the US media and travel trade.

Chairman Peter Lederer said: "During these uncertain times, I believe it is important that we maintain and develop the existing relationships that have been built between Scotland and the USA over recent years.

"Tartan Day and the events prior to it play a vital role in building these links and VisitScotland believes its involvement in this year's Tartan Day clearly demonstrates our affinity with and support for the US market.

" The Scottish product portfolio is extremely strong, including the genealogy brand which ties strong American roots to Scottish ancestry, which again builds on the excellent Scotland-American relationship."

Presiding Officer Sir David Steel will represent the Scottish Parliament in Canada and America during the week of events.

"Many people in North America feel a strong connection with their Scottish relatives and perhaps now, more than ever, want to ensure the links remain strong," he said.

"Tartan Day is a time for us to mark our shared history and our partners in Canada and America have been keen for the trip to continue, despite the current conflict.

"I think it is important that we are able to respect their wishes whilst respecting the very serious nature of the conflict and all those involved."

Tartan Day Drums up Support

Tartan Day aims to encourage tourists to Scotland

More than 2,000 pipers and drummers from all over the world have marched down New York's Sixth Avenue to mark Tartan Day.

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell sent a message to those taking part, but has decided not to attend because of the conflict in the Gulf.

First Minister Jack McConnell, who is leading Labour's campaign for the forthcoming Holyrood elections, also stayed away.

However, he said that the momentum built up in previous years must not be allowed to ebb away.

Drummers and pipers

The celebrations in New York and other venues across the United States are part of the 5th annual Tartan Day programme.

Last year, a record-breaking Tunes of Glory parade in New York attracted up to an estimated 10,000 drummers and pipers.

It is the culmination of a week of events showcasing Scottish life and culture aimed at promoting the country in the US and encouraging tourists to visit.

Tartan Day was first formalised by the US Senate in 1998 to mark the Declaration of Arbroath on 6 April 1320, when a group of Scottish nobles swore independence from England.

Supporters of Tartan Day hope it could eventually gain the same status and profile for Scotland as St Patrick's Day does for the Irish Republic.

In Scotland, there has also been a series of consumer and business events based on key interests for American visitors such as genealogy, golf, culture and heritage.

Peter Lederer, head of Scotland's tourism board VisitScotland, hoped the events would promote the country's tourism industry and encourage trade and cultural links.

"The activities undertaken in the past week have allowed us to build for the future in what is a very important time for Scottish tourism," he said.

"Following this week, we will be building on the contacts and business opportunities identified to ensure that the work we have done will boost tourism to Scotland in the years to come."