Book your non-stop flight to Edinburgh with Air Canada Rouge

EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 11, 2013 /CNW/ - As Air Canada Rouge gears up to launch its non-stop route from Toronto to Edinburgh this July, Canadians are urged to book their flights now.

More than 4 million Canadians claim Scottish ancestry and with increased availability of convenient, direct access to Scotland from Toronto, there has never been a better time to discover, or rediscover, what Scotland has on offer.

While in Canada this week, Transport Minister Keith Brown is also promoting Scotland's knowledge and experience on aviation matters. Following positive discussions, which involved VisitScotland and the Scottish Government, Air Canada announced in December that it would be launching direct flights between Toronto and Edinburgh, starting in July. Speaking after meeting with Air Canada representatives to discuss the potential to extend this route and to introduce further Canadian opportunities for Scotland's airports, Mr Brown said:

"In 2014, the eyes of the world will be on Scotland, as we host two of the world's greatest sporting events - the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. It will also be our second year of Homecoming, which will have broad appeal to the Canadian market with its strong ancestral links. "It is essential that it becomes easier for visitors to get to Scotland and the new direct service between Edinburgh and Toronto is good news for Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.

"We are determined to improve our international air connections with countries such as Canada, which is an important market for Scotland, and we hope that this service will be the start of building a long and successful association with Scotland, which brings about further Canadian opportunities for Scotland's airports."

VisitScotland and Air Canada have been working together to inspire Torontonians with great reasons to visit Scotland posted on billboards throughout the city, on local radio and via their extensive digital networks throughout April.

More information on planning a visit to Scotland can be found at www.cometoscotland.ca.  For further details on availability, pricepoints and ticketing, please go to www.aircanada.com

Notes to Editors

• VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
• The organisation has three key roles:
• To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors.
• To provide information - and inspiration - to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland.
• To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations.
• 2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland, inspiring our people and our visitors to celebrate Scotland's outstanding natural beauty, landscapes and biodiversity as Scotland prepares to welcome the world in 2014 and beyond.
• Find out more about Scotland's outstanding natural beauty at http://www.cometoscotland.ca/year-of-natural

Please note

This copy was correct at the time of going to press. VisitScotland cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information and accepts no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation.  All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by the reliance on the information contained herewith, or in the event of any company, individual or firm ceasing to trade, is hereby excluded.

Image with caption: "Canadian Transport Minister Keith Brown and Air Canada Rouge's Vijay Bathija (CNW Group/VisitScotland)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130411_C4648_PHOTO_EN_25465.jpg

SOURCE: VisitScotland

Claire Röer, Consumer PR Manager, VisitScotland 011 44 7787 265989 / [email protected]