HIAL will be targeting tourism operators this week at Scotland’s largest tourism trade event.

HIAL will be promoting its 10 airports to around 1,000 buyers from the international  travel trade during the VisitScotland Expo 2004 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday (20 and 21 April 2004).

The airport operator, a member of the Highlands Loch Ness (HLN) marketing group, will be one of around 200 Scottish businesses exhibiting at the trade fair. Travel buyers from 16 European countries as well as America, Canada, Japan, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Australia will be in Aberdeen for the event.

The company’s airports, which serve some of Scotland’s remotest and most beautiful areas, are important gateways for inbound tourism. HIAL is committed to expanding tour operator traffic at its airports over the next five years to support communities and businesses in the region.

Snowflake, the no-frills arm of SAS, started operating a twice-weekly flight between Inverness and Stockholm at the end of March, aimed principally at the Swedish leisure market.

Alex Johnson, Commercial and Marketing Manager at HIAL said: “Inbound tourism is vitally important to the economy of the Highlands and Islands and, in conjunction with local authorities, local enterprise companies and tourist boards, we are actively targeting tour operators both in the UK and Europe.

“Many of the passengers travelling via our airports are already doing so for leisure and tourism, particularly inbound passengers from the South-east of England. We also receive regular private and charter flights from Europe and the USA.

“The region has much to offer the leisure traveller and inbound tour operator traffic is a market we are keen to expand. This event in Aberdeen allows us to meet many of the major tour operators and to discuss the incentives we can provide if they fly to our airports,” said Mr Johnson.

Nairn hotelier and HLN chairman Andy Machen Young said: “Tourism is a major industry for the Highlands with many of our visitors arriving by air. We enjoy a close working relationship with HIAL and tourism operators have seen the benefits of the increased traffic, especially at Inverness, that new air routes have brought into the region.

“There are benefits for everyone if European tour operators can be persuaded to establish regular programmes in the region,” he said.

ENDS