Orkney tourism set to benefit from German interest

Tourism in Orkney is benefiting from unprecedented coverage across Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland this week, as a result of media visits to the county, hosted by VisitScotland.

As well as a documentary being broadcast on German/French TV channel ARTE this week, the media trip also saw journalists from a number of publications, including Brigitte, a glossy, monthly women’s magazine, with a circulation in excess of 570,000 throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The weekly German broadsheet Die Zeit, with a circulation of over 540,000 and one of the most respected German language newspapers, is also running a feature on Orkney this week.

Barbara Foulkes, VisitScotland’s islands manager, said: “As the largest European travel market to Scotland, and with a strong interest in the heritage and the people of Orkney, Germany is an important target market.

“German visitors are particularly keen on having an authentic island experience, they want to get in a car, experience our heritage and speak to local people.”