To Whom it May or Might Concern
Alas it was not at all "brilliant" this past week of presentations to benefit Scotland's tourism in New York City.
In fact it was an insult to the intelligence of Americans and showed minimal concern for the greatness of Scotland.
Please note that I am of Scottish descent, and have been in Scotland 5 times in the past 15 years.
This hideous "crystal palace" which you brought over, telling us in the press releases we would be seeing a "Scottish Village" is total rubbish. Poorly designed, and not meant for the flow of information, or for that matter, ideas. The outrageous cost, which also found its place in your press releases, was a giant waste of money. New Yorkers see "crystal palaces" every day of the week, up and down the avenues of the city, one of the major trade centers in the civilized world, and your offering was neither imaginative, representative nor clever.
The city of New York is awash in "promotional literature"...just from all of the 50 states who have offices in the city to promote tourism in the US, as well as all the other capitals and continents known for leadership roles in the world's tourism trade. Yes, we still have tourism offices for our "rural regions"...I believe I read that you have decided to close those offices, and keep only Edinburgh as the "hub". What a foolish move! I hope the Orkneys and the other islands and rural seats will just move ahead on their own to promote themselves, since none of the staff I encountered at the chrystal pavilion, so eager to show off William Wallace's sword, had a single word of support for "the countryside". They just kept talking about "moving forward"...What's that all about?
You've done a mindboggling brainwashing for the staffing of the "booths" at the trade and tourism palace. When I asked, "Where's the Scottish Village?", they looked at me as though I had missed the point. No, YOU have missed the point.
When Americans...by this I mean the non-business folk...decide to travel, they pursue intelligent avenues for their journeys. They might fancy beaches, architecture, family genealogy, small villages (since New Yorkers live in a huge city, they often like a change of scene...don't you?), art and literature bases, historical sites...I could go on and on.
It seems that the entire focus of your endeavor was to "sell" Scotland to merchants and businessmen, with the cover of tourism. Even the Japanese do the job far better, and encourage visitors to seek out family contacts...on business trips!
You have sold out Scotland. You have not given the New York community any feel for the sights and smells of the lochs and braes; a taste for the tempting treats often found at tea time; historic references so that visitors will be entranced by the famous battles which made Scotland what she is today, and what I hope she will retain in the future: a series of communities, villages, islands and fellowships where traditions mean something, and are held dear; a land where neighbors treasure neighbors ands helter visitors from the stormy climate; a base for great resorces like the Mitchell Library, the Edinburgh museums, the seacoasts, the rough terrain, the Forths and Lochs, the rural vistas which are unparalleled, a country of inventors and writers of world reknown.
And all with a love of "home".
Rethink your campaign. Change it from a military assault of hastening the commercial override of everything you hold dear, and bring it round to a pride of heritage of all the endeavors, past and present, which make Scotland unique, not just another center of industrial and commercial sites.
Scotland is so much more.
Mary I. Whitehead Sharon, Ct., USA
(I lived in New York City for 25 years)