Tourism boss praises phenomenal first year for V&A Dundee

It’s been a tremendous first year for V&A Dundee, securing over 800k visitors, as well as helping to secure Dundee as one of Scotland’s cultural hotspots.

Here, Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director praises the museum’s successes as it celebrates its first birthday. 

Since opening V&A Dundee has been on a phenomenal journey, shining a global spotlight Dundee as a city of design, creativity and heritage.

From the initial conception to the full operation of the museum, V&A Dundee represents over a decade of innovation, passion and dedication. I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work which has led to V&A Dundee becoming one of the UK’s most important cultural attractions.

The museum reached 500k visitors in in March, a whole six months earlier than expected! This extraordinary achievement showcases just how attractive a proposition this iconic structure and cultural powerhouse is to visitors in Scotland.

It has enjoyed a host of accolades, most recently featuring on TIME Magazine’s list of ‘2019’s Greatest Places’.

The museum was also nominated for the coveted Art Fund Museum of the Year award earlier this year, a prize which shines a spotlight on the unique experiences, breath-taking spaces, and outstanding collections available across the UK.

Despite not winning, this nomination, along with the museum’s vast list of achievements, reinforces V&A Dundee’s place as a world class attraction.

In the last year, the city of Dundee has racked up a number of achievements, from Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2018 hotlist and US broadcasting giant CNN’s top seven cities to visit since the museum opened.

The last year has cemented Dundee’s reputation as a must-visit city, drawing visitors from far and wide, growing the economy, creating jobs and sustaining communities.

This impact is not just limited to Dundee, with new attractions like V&A Dundee, along with world-class international events such as The 2019 Solheim Cup, showing that Scotland continues to deliver experiences, events and attractions which meet the ever-changing demands of our visitors and ensure they continue to have memorable experiences.

I’d like to wish V&A Dundee a very happy birthday and I’m excited to see what the next year will bring for the museum, the city and Scotland.

At VisitScotland we want to celebrate innovation, champion collaboration and ensure that the positive impact of tourism is felt across the country.