The Scottish Thistle Awards, Scotland’s premier tourism and events awards, are making a welcome return this year. The 2022/23 Scottish Thistle Awards were launched in March to shine a spotlight on individual businesses and people working within the tourism & events industry, worth £11.5 billion to the Scottish economy.
The awards, which for the first time this year include a media partnership with News Scotland, feature 17 national and regional categories covering accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and events and festivals to visitor attractions and luxury experiences.
The team at Johnstons of Elgin attend the Scottish Thistle Awards final
Delivered by national tourism organisation VisitScotland, the Scottish Thistle Awards combine regional awards, including the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA) and the Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards (ACSTA), with a national final.
World-renowned luxury cashmere and fine woollens manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin has been running its mills in Elgin and Hawick for over 200 years and is headline sponsor of this year’s Scottish Thistle Awards. The heritage brand is a keen champion of the awards and has previously sponsored the Silver Thistle category. Here, George McNeil, Johnstons of Elgin Managing Director of Retail, outlines what sponsorship of the awards means to the company and the value of the awards.