21 Aug 2008
The success of Edinburgh's Festival season was recently celebrated at an event held by The Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne.
The Scotland Office's annual reception welcomed figures from a variety of walks of life, including the festivals, the wider arts and media.
As part of his role, the Secretary of State for Scotland represents the interests of the festivals in government. The Scotland Office has been involved in negotiations with other government departments over the past year resulting in the successful streamlining of visitor and performer visas and a reduction in their cost.
The festivals continue to grow each year, attracting huge numbers of UK and international visitors as a cultural highlight of the year.
The Secretary of State for Scotland said:
"The festivals generate around £180 million for the Scottish economy each year but have also established a huge amount of cultural capital for Scotland at the same time. The sheer depth, variety and quality of the talent on show, from the International Festival through to the Fringe, the Book, and music festivals, means that August is always a stellar event.
"The festivals are a precious asset to both Edinburgh and the UK as a whole and are only possible thanks to the hard work and innovation of those behind the scenes as well as the performers who sustain the worldwide reputation the festivals justly deserve."
Contact:
Clark Dunn
Scotland Office
07917 084371