THE BOOMING tourism trade in Dunfermline and West Fife is raking in more than £73million a year – almost a quarter of the industry’s entire annual revenue in the Kingdom!

Growing numbers of visitors are creating almost 1500 full-time jobs across the region according to figures presented to the South West Fife area committee yesterday (Wednesday 18th February).

Jack Pryde, founder of Discover Dunfermline Tours, thinks that the increased interest in the city and its surrounding areas can only be a good thing.

“It’s going from strength to strength,” he said. “There’s been a large increase in tourism in Dunfermline. I’ve been doing tours since 2011 and I’ve never yet had a season that’s not been busy.

“My regular work is walking tours and they just keep coming, it’s never quiet. People are hearing about Dunfermline, about Andrew Carnegie, about Robert the Bruce, and they want to hear more.” From historic attractions such as Dunfermline Abbey to walking trails and scenic locations, the area is benefiting from growing tourism and Jack said one particular boost was from cruise ship passengers docking at Rosyth.

“This season coming up I’ve got a huge amount of work from cruise ships, which has been about two years in the making,” he said. “I’ve been getting good recommendations and being booked again off the back of that. A lot of cruise passengers are habitual, they go every year or second year. They’ve already seen Edinburgh and they’re looking for something different, so we can offer them something different, something new.” Making visitors aware of the West Fife area and what it has to offer has also been helped by the attention brought from hit TV show Outlander, which has boosted tourist numbers before it even has a UK air date thanks to filming in locations such as Culross, Limekilns and Charlestown.

Jack admitted that exposure from TV and film would always help and thinks the next step is getting a major project in the city centre.

“The local tourist association has a project team to drive that forward,” he said. “There are lots of people all over central Scotland doing Outlander tours and we’ll benefit from doing them too.

“If we can get a TV programme to film in Dunfermline, then that’s what we’re looking for! TV shows do have a big impact and these things are a vehicle to get people here.” Jack believes that everybody has to work together to create the best visitor experience and keep them coming back.

Since the Dunfermline and West Fife Local Tourist Association was set up, it has developed the tourism profile of the area in partnership with individual businesses and organisers such as Dunfermline First, Dunfermline Delivers and Visit Dunfermline as well as Fife Council officers and members.

“It’s all about teamwork, we’ve got to work together,” said Jack. “I had a booking with a Danish family who took a tour and then had a fish supper at Aldo’s, bringing him seven suppers at lunch!

“That falls into the way I’m trying to work and it’s a real success.” Tourism looks certain to keep playing a significant role in the area, with projects such as the ambitious Fife Pilgrim Way having the potential to attract new visitors who want to trek the historic route from Culross and North Queensferry through Dunfermline to St Andrews, but Jack knows that they cannot afford to get complacent.

“Tourism is on the up,” he said. “We do need more marketing of Dunfermline because we do have a fair degree to offer.”