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Conference set to keep Scotland on track

A national consultative conference focusing on keeping Scotland as a world leader in mountain biking, and ensuring it’s continued popularity at home, will be held next week.

Scotland has an enviable international reputation in mountain biking and the conference in Perth on Tuesday 29 January will allow 200 delegates to give their views and ideas on how to ensure Scotland continues to develop the sport.

Last year, Fort William staged the highly successful UCI Mountain Bike and Trails World Championships, winning the prestigious International Mountain Bike Teams, Tech Support and Race Organizers Organisation (IMTTO) ‘Event of the Year’ along the way, and built on the international acclaim given to previous World Cup stages held at the Fort.

The Worlds also saw Scotland’s first mountain bike champion crowned, with 18 year old Ruaridh Cunningham winning the junior men’s downhill competition.

Jackie Davidson, Director of Operations at Scottish Cycling said; “Mountain biking is an important and fast growing discipline within the Scottish cycling community. It is crucial that this momentum is maintained and developed in a way that is sustainable and continues to contribute to the health, economic development and sporting achievement of the country.

“This conference will help us to develop a strategy and framework which will safeguard the future development of mountain biking in Scotland from the tracks of Glentress to the continued success of the international mountain biking events held in Fort William.”

Seven national organisations - Scottish Cycling, EventScotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, sportscotland and VisitScotland - are working together to initiate the development of  a framework and strategy for the future delivery, and continued success, of mountain biking in Scotland.

The conference will be attended by representatives from partner agencies, health promotion agencies, local authorities, the private sector, landowners, environmental and other voluntary and public sector organisations, clubs and participant groups all of whom have a vested interest in the continued development of the sport. Delegates will identify the key issues, and the outcomes from the discussions will be used to develop the national framework.

For further information, please contact:

Jackie Davidson
Director of Operations
Scottish Cycling

Mobile: 07951051876
Mail to: jackie.davidson@scottishcycling.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

> The Sustainable Future Delivery of Mountain Biking in Scotland National Consultative Conference will take place in the Salutation Hotel, Perth on Tuesday 29th January, 10am – 4pm.

Admission is free however places are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis.

> The seven national organisations involved in the development of the strategy and framework are: Scottish Cycling, sportscotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, EventScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise.

> EventScotland is the national organisation for sporting and cultural events and co-ordinates the delivery of the Major Events Strategy published by the Scottish Executive in November 2002.

The strategy is designed to maximise the benefits of existing events, attract new events, showcase Scotland's assets and encourage more people to visit Scotland experiencing at first hand, major sporting and cultural events being staged in the country.

For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and the latest event news please visit www.EventScotland.org

> sportscotland is the national agency for sport in Scotland.  We passionately believe in the benefits of sport, from the enjoyment and sense of achievement that participation brings, to the shared pride that national success generates.  We aim to achieve our mission by leading and supporting our partners, investing National Lottery and Scottish Government funding where it counts and advising on policy and strategy for the future.

> VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.

The organisation has five roles:

1.       To give strategic direction to the tourism industry.

2.       To attract visitors by marketing Scotland and the country’s tourism assets to all parts of the world in the UK and internationally.

3.       To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors to enable them to get the best out of a visit to Scotland.

4.       To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to industry partners to ensure the industry delivers to meet – or exceed – visitors’ expectations.

5.       To promote partnerships with the wider industry to ensure we all reap the economic benefits of collective effort.

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 offices and tourist information centres across Scotland.

Tourism employs 200,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The industry generates over £4 billion revenue. Tourism supports around 9 per cent of employment in Scotland (13 per cent in the Highlands).

For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.htm

For Scottish tourism statistics go to http://www.visitscotland.org/research_and_statistics.htm

For frequently asked questions go to  http://www.visitscotland.org/about_us/faqs.htm 

For holiday information on Scotland go www.visitscotland.com