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Tourism
Lanarkshire is a destination with a huge amount to offer tourists. It is rich in heritage and personality,
and steeped in vast natural landscapes, boasting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, award winning
attractions, vibrant towns and a mix of accommodation at both premium and value pricing brackets.
The Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership is the body responsible for promoting tourism in the region.
This group is made up of representatives from North and South Lanarkshire Councils, VisitScotland and
the Lanarkshire Tourism Association (LTA) which includes many prominent attractions and accommo-
dation providers in the area. The LTA has a large and growing membership and provides businesses
with the opportunity to work in partnership to promote the interests of the tourism sector.
The value of the tourism sector in Lanarkshire cannot be understated. Currently, an estimated three
million visitors are attracted to the area annually, contributing around £337 million to the local economy
and employing over 6,000 people.
Nationally and internationally, tourism continues to be widely recognised as an important growth
area and an industry that can benefit every local community. This represents a major opportunity for
Lanarkshire to raise the profile and image of the area, and also contribute to achieving sustainable
economic growth.
Visit Lanarkshire
The VisitLanarkshire brand and Visitlanarkshire.com web
portal were created in 2004 to develop Lanarkshire as a
visitor destination, and key activity includes spring and
autumn marketing campaigns.
Partnership working in the tourism sector is an integral
part of the tourism sector in Lanarkshire and in
November 2013, VisitLanarkshire secured the Partnership
in Tourism Award at the Scottish National Thistle Awards.
If you have a business operating in the tourism sector
and would like more information on the support available
please contact Jennifer Thomson in the North on
nd Stephen Balfour in the
South on
For information on leisure tourism activities in Lanarkshire,
go to
Venues Lanarkshire
While VisitLanarkshire is the consumer brand for Lanarkshire, VenuesLanarkshire was developed in
2012 as the business brand for attracting business tourism to the area.
According to the UK Tourism 2020 Strategy, business tourism, encompassing meetings, conferences
and events is one of the four key drivers to growing the tourism industry by £1 billion by 2020. Scotland
is certainly a brand in vogue in this market, showing success throughout Europe and North America
with new venues, destination support and a brand heritage that is unavoidable.
Perfectly placed between Scotland’s two largest cities, business tourism presents a major opportunity
for Lanarkshire to grow and develop with its ‘best of both worlds’ offering for delegates – easy reach
