Tag: Forever Edinburgh

New figures reveal the growing popularity of Edinburgh’s ‘Resident Rewards’ scheme

More than 5,400 people took advantage of exclusive offers available only to residents within the City of Edinburgh Council area last year.

The Forever Edinburgh ‘Resident Rewards’ programme, which is run by the City of Edinburgh Council, partnered with over 50 local businesses to offer residents exclusive ‘Rewards’ with key leisure and hospitality businesses, visitor attractions, tours, and festive events around the city.

In 2023, the scheme saw an uplift of 195% in bookings of its monthly ‘Star Reward’ and an increase of 88% in the number of residents benefiting from the programme compared to 2022.

In the last year, it has helped residents to make a combined saving of £66,114.

More than 700 local kids enjoyed Camera Obscura for free in March 2023, while over 850 residents attended the Johnnie Walker Princes Street Experience with a 40% discount during their dedicated month.

Residents Rewards Edinburgh was launched in December 2021 to reconnect citizens with the city’s best leisure, food and drink, and cultural experiences. Edinburgh residents can enjoy high-value monthly rewards, special resident prices at key attractions, 12 months’ validity on entry tickets, special previews of upcoming events, and half-price and free entry to attractions at specific times in the month and year.

Last year, Forever Edinburgh enhanced the programme by introducing several new Reward offers including Resident Previews, Half-price & Free days, Annual Passes, and Resident Rates.

Since 2021, the Resident Rewards microsite has been viewed nearly half a million times and has also generated over 35,000 business leads, demonstrating the strength and potential of this market-leading programme.

Councillor Cammy Day, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council said: “It has been a fantastic year for Resident Rewards, with new businesses and brand-new attractions signing up to give back to Edinburgh residents. It’s wonderful to see so many people taking advantage of these exclusive rewards and exploring their own city for less.

“Whether you live locally or visit from halfway across the world, there is so much more to Edinburgh than many of us find time to discover. These rewards provide the perfect chance to try something new while supporting the local economy and I’d encourage other local businesses to get involved.”

Claire Riddoch, Marketing Manager, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions said: “Taking part in the Residents Reward was a great success for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

“We are always looking at ways we can work with our local partners and audiences to give back something in return for their loyal support, especially after the last few hard years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were delighted to welcome just under 700 local children free during March 2023, which contributed to a 56% overall rise in children visiting compared to March 2022 and 33% of our total visitors were from Edinburgh and Lothians, up 16% on 2022.”

The scheme’s popularity has continued to grow, with the Resident Reward microsite now the 4th most popular page on The Official Guide to Edinburgh website. The programme is promoted through a targeted media campaign involving local partners such as Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.

Resident Rewards is being fully funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and funding has been secured until March 2025.

In April, residents can enjoy a 25% discount at the Escape Room in the Department of Magic through the Monthly Star reward. Then, in May they can take advantage of an exclusive 30% discount on tours at the new Port of Leith Distillery, Scotland’s first vertical whisky distillery located in Leith.

To unlock exclusive discounts and rewards as an Edinburgh resident, go to:

 https://edinburgh.org/residentrewards/

Participation in this programme is free for local leisure and hospitality businesses. If you’re interested in joining and offering exclusive rewards to residents of the City of Edinburgh through your business, please reach out to the team at: residentrewards@edinburgh.gov.uk.

City centre hotel offers foodie fantasy with exclusive deal

A PREMIER four-star city centre hotel and restaurant is giving back to residents with a chance to rediscover the magic of the city with an exciting exclusive ‘Drinks and Dining’ offer in February.

In partnership with Forever Edinburgh Resident Rewards, Ten Hill Place Hotel is providing the perfect opportunity to relax and recuperate with £50 of food and drink for just £25 per person, saving 50%.

Located on the prime location of Nicholson Street in the buzzing Southside district, the exclusive offer allows guests to experience its relaxed and contemporary restaurant and enjoy locally sourced seasonal dishes paired with carefully selected drinks including its exclusive in-house 1505 gin and 1505 Ale for less.

Mark McKenzie, General Manager of Surgeons Quarter said: “We wanted to help Edinburgh locals beat the winter blues by offering an exclusive offer to city residents.

“The offer is a fantastic opportunity for people to escape in their own city and enjoy a top-class meal for half the price.

“The response so far has been fantastic, and it has been great to have a buzz in the hotel and campus – making for a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.”

Forever Edinburgh works with members, partners, and stakeholders to maintain the profile of Edinburgh as a world-class destination to visit, invest, live, work and study though championing Scotland’s capital city locally, nationally and internationally.

Eleanor Lee, Digital Marketing Lead at Forever Edinburgh said: “Resident Rewards Edinburgh, now in its third year, is an exclusive initiative for Edinburgh residents, offering substantial savings and a chance to try new experiences in the city we all call home.

“The enthusiastic participation of local businesses including the return of partners like Surgeons Quarter underscores the programme’s success and since July 2023, the Resident Rewards landing page has attracted over 57,000 visitors.

Edinburgh is bucking the trend when it comes to footfall to our city centre and was recently declared the top performing city in the UK, and I have no doubt that this is in part thanks to the incredible range of attractions on offer and initiatives like this.”

Bookings can be made by emailing j.hudson@surgeonsquarter.com using the code EHReward50.

Ten Hill Place is run by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RSCEd) with profits supporting the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

The offer is valid from Monday 1st February to 29th February 2024 from 1pm-9.30pm, to learn more about the offer, visit: https://edinburgh.org/residentrewards/

More information about Ten Hill Place hotel can be found at: 

https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/accommodation/

Latest Forever Edinburgh marketing campaigns launched

Residents and visitors invited to come back for more as new Forever Edinburgh marketing campaigns go live

  • Visitors invited to ‘Experience the Beauty’ of Scotland’s capital with stunning new visitor campaign taking viewers behind famous scenes and showing the city in a new light.
  • Newly launched city destination website promotes local businesses, features ‘UK first’ ChatGPT chat box and new interactive city, neighbourhood and regional maps to make it easier for visitors to explore.
  • Series of unique rewards secured to expand Forever Edinburgh’s successful resident rewards programme, meaning more year-round reduced resident rates and ‘money can’t buy’ experiences – for locals only. 

Following the busiest summer festival season in Scotland’s Capital since Covid hit, Forever Edinburgh has unveiled a new inbound visitor campaign and brand-new city marketing website, enhanced by a programme of unmissable resident rewards.

The campaigns are aimed at generating increased spend and support for Edinburgh’s tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses while spreading tourism throughout the year.

Created in 2022 thanks to funding from the City of Edinburgh Council and Visit Scotland, Forever Edinburgh is the city’s official destination guide. The expanded ‘Resident Rewards Edinburgh’ programme and ‘Experience the Beauty’ visitor campaign are both funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Soar through Edinburgh with breath-taking digital campaign 

The city’s official destination promotion service has unveiled a brand new UK inbound leisure visitor digital campaign: Experience the Beauty.

Designed to raise awareness of Edinburgh’s unrivalled experiences and encourage new and repeat visitors to visit in all seasons, the campaign features colourful flashes of iconic sights and attractions mixed with intimate snippets of Edinburgh’s less explored nooks and crannies.  

View the new video on YouTube.

Explore Edinburgh before entering the city with interactive new website 

Forever Edinburgh – The Official Guide to Edinburgh has launched a brand new website to provide a more powerful tool for raising awareness of the city’s year-round, city-wide visitor offering to residents and prospective visitors. 

The new site is the first destination website in the UK to launch a Chat GPT powered chatbot while an interactive map will help users navigate their way between the city centre, local neighbourhoods and the wider region.

Local tourism businesses and organisations can also now create and maintain their own free web listing to help inspire bookings.

Similarly, businesses can record whether they are Green Scotland accredited, helping to position Edinburgh as a responsible destination that can be enjoyed by everyone and supporting Edinburgh becoming a net zero city. Businesses can also highlight their services for visitors with additional accessibility requirements. 

Snap up new Resident Rewards 

Only available to local residents, the Capital’s trailblazing ‘Resident Reward Edinburgh’ programme is now expanding with four new rewards categories for residents. These include special resident rates by signed-up partners, exclusive resident previews for some of the city’s newest openings, annual validity on tickets to grow loyalty with the annual pass, and half price and free days.

First launched in January 2022 offering one high-value monthly reward from one new business each month, this is a growing programme with new rewards categories joining the programme on a rolling basis.

This success is expected to continue as Forever Edinburgh announces new monthly star rewards with Lind & Lime Gin this September and The Cauldron in October, plus discounted resident rates for a range of attractions including Mercat Tours, PURE Spa and Edinburgh Bus Tours.

Council Leader Cammy Day said:  “In line with Edinburgh’s 2030 Tourism Strategy we are working towards a more sustainable, fairer visitor economy. These campaigns redefine Edinburgh as a destination for a whole range of incredible experiences for everybody, in every season of the year.

“The new website celebrates the green credentials many of our businesses boast as well as our beautiful green spaces. It highlights accessible, low-carbon travel options to make it easy for people to get around. As well as our iconic city centre sights, Forever Edinburgh is celebrating Edinburgh’s fantastic neighbourhoods and offers a number of special rewards only residents can gain access to.

“Whether you live locally or visit from halfway across the world, there is so much more to Edinburgh than many of us find time to discover. It’s great to see these campaigns shine a light on some of those experiences.”

VisitScotland Regional Director Neil Christison said: “Digital channels play a significant role in marketing Scotland to both domestic and international markets, helping consumers research and book their trips.

“It is fantastic to see the launch of the new Forever Edinburgh website and marketing activity that will showcase the variety of what is on offer in the city and surrounding area, all year round.

“In addition, the resident reward scheme is a great example of tourism as a force for good, benefiting communities in and around the city and helping to drive forward the aims of Edinburgh’s 2030 tourism strategy.”

Claire Riddoch, Marketing Manager for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, said:  “Taking part in the Residents Reward was a great success for Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

“We are always looking at ways we can work with our local partners and audiences to give back something in return for their loyal support, especially after the last few hard years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We were delighted to welcome just under 700 local children free during March 2023, which contributed to a 56% overall rise in children visiting compared to March 2022 and 33% of our total visitors were from Edinburgh and Lothians, up 16% on 2022.”

Iain McNeill, Managing Director for Whereverly Limited, the local company commissioned to design the new website, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Edinburgh Council to design and develop the new Forever Edinburgh website.

“A website which captures the character and diversity of Edinburgh and the imaginations of those looking to visit.”

Resident Rewards

A full list of rewards is available to view at the Forever Edinburgh website:

Resident Rewards Edinburgh – Forever Edinburgh

Stuart wins competition to enjoy free gigs and help sing the praises of Edinburgh’s music scene

Winner lands eight pairs of gig tickets and his reviews will be published by Forever Edinburgh to encourage more music fans from across the UK to visit the capital

A Learning and Development consultant from Leith with a passion for music and an interest in writing has won a competition to enjoy free gigs and create reviews that encourage more music fans around the UK to visit Edinburgh. 

Stuart Niven, 37, won the competition, which was launched by Forever Edinburgh, the city’s official destination marketing guide, to showcase and support Edinburgh’s music scene to new audiences across the UK. 

Entrants were asked to submit a 250-word review of a gig they’d attended in the past 12-months, describing the event, artist, venue and capturing a sense of Edinburgh as a music-lovers destination. Niven’s winning entry, a review of the hotly tipped band Wet Leg at The Mash House in Edinburgh, was chosen for being written with flair and giving a well-rounded view of the concert. 

Stuart, who was attending around 50 gigs and four festivals a year pre-Covid, wins eight pairs of gig tickets to concerts across Edinburgh venues between May and December 2022.

The gigs will feature local artists and touring acts, with the first event being The Smile, who feature Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, at The Usher Hall on 1st June.  

After each gig, Stuart will be invited to write a by-lined review for the Forever Edinburgh website and social media channels, which are read and followed by visitors from across the world, as well as local residents.

As well as the free tickets and the chance to develop and showcase his writing skills, Niven will be paid a nominal fee of £100 for each of his published reviews. 

In addition, he will be offered the opportunity to review new music by local acts and interview artists and other figures within the city’s music community to further help shine a spotlight on the city’s music scene. 

Stuart, a frequent visitor to the likes of Sneaky Pete’s, The Usher Hall and Leith Theatre,  said: “This news put a huge smile on my face, I was grinning from ear to ear when I found out.

“I work in Learning and Development for a living but I enjoy writing and have often thought about doing some sort of blog or review page for the gigs and festivals I attend – mainly just to keep record and have a memory of them all. It was great to have my review received so positively. This competition has definitely given me the encouragement to continue writing. 

“I think it is a hugely exciting time for the Edinburgh music scene right now. The Usher Hall over the last few years has attracted some huge names from all genres to the capital. O2’s acquisition of the Corn Exchange and subsequent bookings there is encouraging, and we have some incredible small venues like Sneaky Pete’s, which continues to lead the charge.  

“The return of Connect Music Festival and all shows to take place at Ingliston this summer are other hugely exciting events to mark on Edinburgh’s music calendar that show just how important the city can be in staging live music.” 

The competition, which was launched in collaboration with local music blog Edinburgh Music Lovers, is part of Forever Edinburgh’s The Story Never Ends campaign and comes at a time when Edinburgh’s live music scene is entering a new chapter having been shut down during the pandemic. 

Stuart Niven’s reviews will also be published on Edinburgh Music Lovers to help further showcase his reviews and music in Edinburgh. 

Karl Chapman, Head of Heritage, Cultural Venues, Museums & Galleries at City of  Edinburgh Council, said: “My congratulations go to the well-deserved winner of the Forever Edinburgh music competition, Stuart Niven.

“He is clearly a passionate music fan who enjoys creative writing. I’ll be looking forward to reading his reviews of diverse Edinburgh gigs over the next few months. 

“The city’s music scene has been badly hit by the global pandemic, but we’re happy to see it coming back to life with an eclectic array of concerts lined up in venues of all sizes across Edinburgh.” 

Forever Edinburgh is the City of Edinburgh Council’s destination brand which promotes Edinburgh to the world, highlighting details of places to visit, accommodation, days out itineraries, festivals and attractions.  

Forever Edinburgh marketing campaign secures new funding

“Our Capital’s much-missed buzz is back” – Council leader Cllr. Adam McVey

Forever Edinburgh, the city’s official destination guide, has secured a further £90k from VisitScotland’s Destination and Sector Marketing Fund to continue amplifying promotional activity.

This follows a successful first year of ‘The Story Never Ends’ campaign, which promotes the Capital as the UK’s top city break and shares the unique stories and experiences visitors can discover around every corner.

Delivered jointly by the City of Edinburgh Council, ETAG, VisitScotland and private sector partners, the campaign showcases the attractions, shops, bars, events and restaurants. It was launched as lockdown was easing in April 2021 to target domestic leisure visitors in Scotland and England encouraging people to meet up safely and spend time together once again.

At a local level a new Resident Rewards Edinburgh scheme was also launched in 2021 as part of the campaign. It aims to help residents to re-discover all the city has to offer by benefitting from a high-value reward or discount with a new business every month.

The funding secured from Scotland’s national tourism organisation will support the next phase of campaign activity over summer 2022 and adds to £50k set aside in the City of Edinburgh Council’s budget to develop the Forever Edinburgh website, helping to strengthen the Scottish Capital’s shop window to visitors from across the globe.

An update on the campaign’s ongoing success – which has seen page views increase by 460% year on year – was given to the Council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee this week.

Forever Edinburgh Winter Campaign

Council Leader, Adam McVey said: “The Forever Edinburgh campaign has been a vital piece of partnership working, helping encourage residents back into our city centre after attractions and businesses had dealt with the challenges of COVID restrictions. And its success is clear to see; our Capital’s much-missed buzz is back.

“After a hugely difficult time for our hospitality industry, it has been crucial to safely welcome visitors back into our city centre to support local businesses. Everything we’ve achieved with our City partners with the campaign demonstrates what we can do when we work together, and I’m grateful to everyone who has stepped up to support it.

“While we’ve come far, the impact of the pandemic will be felt for a long time to come so it’s important that we keep up the momentum. This latest funding boost from VisitScotland is hugely welcome and, alongside £50,000 from the Council, will be used to encourage even more residents and visitors to enjoy our beautiful Capital and rediscover all it has to offer this summer.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “Forever Edinburgh has been a true partnership and this additional money from VisitScotland recognises how well the campaign is working. It also demonstrates how important it is that we continue to work together to reinvigorate tourism in the Capital, and we will use the funding to leverage the partnerships we have in place.

“In this next stage of the campaign there will be a focus on our live music scene and all the events lined up to take place over Spring and Summer. The city’s calendar is building back up and there is no shortage of places to see, restaurants and shops to enjoy and arts and culture at every turn.

“As we move forward, I’m sure residents and visitors will continue to lend their support to businesses which were hit hard by the pandemic and feel inspired by the Forever Edinburgh campaign.”

Neil Christison, Regional Director at VisitScotland, said: “Forever Edinburgh has been a fantastic platform for businesses and the tourism industry to engage with residents and visitors during an incredibly challenging time.

“While the return of international visitors will be important for the long-term recovery of the industry, domestic visitors will continue to play a key role in helping businesses get back on their feet.

“The award from the Destination and Sector Marketing Fund will ensure the Forever Edinburgh campaign continues to extend the benefits of tourism to the capital and the surrounding region in a sustainable and responsible way.”

Campaign highlights

‘The Story Never Ends’ featured a series of summer and winter-themed films showcasing Edinburgh’s broad product offer and unique stories, radio advertising, paid media partnerships, new content and itineraries created for the Forever Edinburgh website and new photography of the city. As a result of this activity the website saw page views increase by 460% year on year during campaign period April-February, with users accessing the site saw a rise of 174% compared to the previous year (2020/21).

A consumer PR campaign complemented this activity including travel journalists and social media influencer visits to the city to experience what Edinburgh has to offer first-hand. Global media coverage was secured for a new video promoting dog-friendly Edinburgh, reaching over 1billion readers through media coverage, and a competition prize package with multi award-winning author, Ian Rankin OBE reached nearly 250million readers online.

As a result of this participating businesses have reported a rise in bookings due to the media coverage. Further celebrity endorsement was given by Gail Porter for the city’s spooky stories while there is still more in the pipeline to promote the Capital’s live music scene and sustainability credentials.

https://youtu.be/GUxTzvFM8Z0

The new resident focused initiative, Resident Rewards Edinburgh, was launched in December 2021, with promotion on social media and YouTube as well as a partnership with The List and ForthFM.

Working in partnership with the city’s tourism businesses, residents of Edinburgh are enjoying high-value rewards and discounts with a new business every month. The dedicated Resident Rewards section has become the second most popular page on edinburgh.org since it launched (December-February) with 33,000 page views and 2,279 referral clicks.

This activity was all supported though both Scottish Government’s Regional Recovery Fund and VisitScotland’s Destination and Sector Marketing Fund and Market Readiness Fund money.

Business Gateway launches retail recovery programme in Capital

Supporting local businesses continues to be a focus as a new Retail: Recover & Grow programme is launched to support the Capital’s retail community as challenges continue to arise from the pandemic.

Looking to help local, independent retail business owners or directors survive and thrive following the pandemic, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Business Gateway Edinburgh has developed a new pilot programme designed to assist skills development, knowledge, and foster confidence for businesses to recover and grow their operations.

Part funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), this three-day programme takes place over three months and will initially help six participants. Starting at the end of January and taking place virtually, the programme is free and will cover a variety of topics including sales, marketing, customer journey, customer service and PR resulting in a personalised retail strategy action plan. 

Councillor Kate Campbell, Fair Work Convener, said: “The last 21 months have been extremely difficult for retail businesses who have had to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances with absolutely no certainty about what the coming months, and often weeks, will look like.

“We’ve seen some amazing innovation with retailers quickly developing their digital presence and innovating in order to survive. But as the last few weeks have proven, there are many more challenges ahead.  With this new pilot programme from Business Gateway Edinburgh we hope to help support businesses by equipping people with up-to-date knowledge, expertise and advice.

“Ultimately we want to see businesses thriving again. Through the Council’s wider services we have facilitated grant funding, provided rent assistance and extended outdoor seating arrangements.

“Our Forever Edinburgh campaign has also recently launched its Resident Rewards scheme which we hope will encourage people to shop locally, and support our small businesses.”

Councillor Mandy Watt, Fair Work Vice Convener, said: “This new programme adds another opportunity for small business leaders, this time in the retail sector, to come together and get up-to-date guidance and skills training to help them succeed in what are very difficult times.

“This adds to Business Gateway Edinburgh’s wider offering, including Women in Business and Gateway to Investment, and the ongoing one-to-one and on-call support offered by the team.

“We also hope that through this programme, as we’ve experienced with others, the business owners involved will build their own networks, benefit from each others experiences, and continue a new peer-to-peer support after the course is finished.”

To apply please speak to your Business Gateway Adviser for an application form or email: bglothian@bgateway.com