Image: Nature is one of Scotland's selling points

A new national tourism strategy - designed to establish Scotland as a "destination of first choice" over the coming years - has been launched by the Tourism Leadership Group.

Tourism Scotland 2020: The future of our industry, in our hands was produced by the group following extensive consultation across the Scottish tourism sector.

Among the aims of the industry's new document is to "break from the status quo" and to generate overnight spend worth between £5.5bn and £6.5bn over the next eight years.

The figure represents an increase of £1bn on 2011 levels and is to be achieved by targeting the main growth areas - domestic, European, long-haul and emerging markets.

Four groups of "assets" have also been identified in the strategy: destination towns/cities; events and festivals; nature, heritage and activities; and business tourism.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance will use the strategy to lead businesses and other stakeholders throughout the sector to deliver its aims for 2020 and beyond.

The strategy has been welcomed by the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), which produced its own city-focused tourism strategy for the capital earlier this year.

ETAG chair Robin Worsnop said: "It is vital the two strategies work in tandem. Edinburgh is often the visitor's first experience of Scotland and the gateway to many of our other tourism destinations.

"The city's strategic importance as a tourism destination means that Edinburgh is essentially the engine-room which will drive a sustained visitor economy in Scotland."

Details: www.scottishtourismalliance.co.uk

Image: Abubakr Hussain