Pictured from left: Tracey Martin and Jillian Schofield who feature in Top 100 Women in Tourism list.
Following a bumper year of nominations from those working across Scottish tourism, the 2022 Top 100 Women in Tourism list has been announced – and two Falkirk Council employees feature.
Thanks to their work promoting and supporting both the local and national tourism industry,
Tracey Martin and Jillian Schofield have made it onto the list, which aims to recognise the women doing amazing things for the tourism industry in Scotland.
Tracey, Economic Development Officer – Marketing and Tourism, and Jillian, Team Leader: Sales & Marketing - Arts, Culture, Parks & Heritage, work tirelessly to maintain Falkirk’s national and international reputation as one of Scotland’s top tourist destinations.
Speaking about her inclusion in the list, Tracey, who leads on all Visit Falkirk activity, said: “I was amazed when I heard I was on the list, given the other professionals that feature, and really excited – it’s a great honour to be nominated by your peers. This year the awards are even more special as it’s a recognition of all the work we did through the pandemic to support an industry devastated by COVID-19.”
Jillian said: “I am genuinely thrilled to be included in the list. The awards came about in July 2018, in response to the Caterer Magazine’s Top 100 Most Powerful people in hospitality which recognised only 13 women, so I think it’s important to recognise the role women not only have in Scottish tourism but also in driving recovery from the pandemic.”
Good company
Hotel Managers, guest experience experts, Founders, cafe owners, Project Managers, Business Development leads, and social influencers are among those being recognised alongside Tracey and Jillian in this year's Top 100.
From Orkney to Dumfries & Galloway, the Isle of Arran to Fife and Falkirk; what connects these amazing women is their passion for tourism.
Susan Russell, Chair of Women in Tourism, said "I’d like to congratulate our 2022 Top 100 Women in Tourism on all they’ve achieved, and continue to do. Without their passion, resilience and dedication, tourism in Scotland simply wouldn’t be what it is today.”
Visit Falkirk
Tourism was the fastest growing sector in the local area pre-pandemic. From 2009 to 2019, visitor numbers increased by 53% to c950k, employment in the sector by 31.4% to just over 2200 jobs, and the overall economic impact of tourism increased by 87.9% to c£136m.
Then the pandemic struck, and the global industry was devastated. Now, with travel back on the cards, Tracey, Jillian, and colleagues are working hard to help the local industry recover and regain lost ground.
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