High hopes for online tourism

An online tour helped promote the skyscraper

Tourist businesses across Scotland are to hear how the experience of the Empire State Building could help them increase visitor numbers.

Scotland's first e-tourism conference, taking place in Glasgow, will be told how the New York attraction won more than 40 awards for its website.

The event has been organised by Scottish Enterprise as part of its e-Business Week.

About 200 delegates from Scotland will get an insight into the approach of Lydia Ruth, the Empire State Building's special events co-ordinator.

Any size of business can cut costs and increase profitability through clever use of the internet Eddie Brogan Scottish Enterprise

Ms Ruth will discuss how the internet helped maximise the attraction's economic potential.

This has included giving browsers a virtual tour of the building and letting them experience live views from the Towercam.

Keynote speaker, Dr Peter Cochrane, was co-founder of ConceptLabs with Apple Computers in Silicon Valley, California, and founding director of ebookers.com.

Mr Cochrane will give delegates a glimpse of how he sees the future of technology in relation to the tourism industry.

He will examine whether businesses need to be totally transformed if they are to survive.

Tips for success

Tourism e-business adviser Raymond McGovern, of Scottish Enterprise, said: "This is the first event of its kind to be held in Scotland and is a wonderful opportunity for people involved with tourism businesses to find out about best practice.

"It is also the first time representatives from the Empire State Building have visited Scotland to talk about their success and I'm sure this will give us a rare insight into the approaches of a world leader.

"It is very pleasing to see we have delegates from organisations ranging from guest houses to major hotels and visitor attractions. I am positive everyone who attends will find the day incredibly useful."

Eddie Brogan, Scottish Enterprise's head of tourism, said: "Any size of business can cut costs and increase profitability through clever use of the internet for marketing via their websites and communicating with potential customers by email."