Since I first got involved with Scotch Whisky, several decades ago, the Scotch Whisky Association, from various premises and through several Chief Executive statements, have ALWAYS been saying this. They manage to carefully and constantly ignore the MASSIVE Elephants in the Room though:
* Why don't we have a cohesive Scotch Whisky Tourism Strategy and Budget?
* Why can you visit Scotland's biggest Nuclear Power Station but you CAN'T visit Scotland's biggest Distillery?
* Why don't we have a dynamic, Scotch Whisky Tourism website, with ALL the Distilleries?
If the SWA wants to remain relevant, they need to ACT, not just mouth platitudes and pose for photos, shaking hands with a load of Politicians, who have absolutely no wish to change things. Less 'Honours', more Honour.
If you DO have a point of view that's slightly less toothless and benign than the one they hold, they simply don't invite you to stuff! They don't WANT Debate. They'll tell you Scotch is doing great, till its not. Like in the 1980s, when they had already been around for 60 years and watched, as it nearly got consigned to History.
It's 2024. SWA has been on the go since 1913, they're supposed to be THE Vanguard for Scotch.
It's quite hard to believe, it's a Drink named after our Country. The combined Turnover of their Members is £several Tens of Billions but we don't have a Tourism Strategy. Eh?
P.S. Hardly anyone knows the uncomfortable truth. Lord David Frost, (the Brexit Guy), he used to be the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association...
They probably don't want ordinary Scots knowing this, I'm beyond caring!
#ScotchWhiskyTruths.
"The figures also show that #ScotchWhisky's success at home and overseas cannot be taken for granted. Support to see the industry through short-term turbulence is necessary to harness the long-term growth opportunities, and that can start with the cut to UK spirits duty in the Budget on 30th October."
???? Scotch Whisky Association Mark Kent CMG calls on the UK Government to #SupportScotch as 2024 H1 export results are released
Read more ?? https://lnkd.in/eJbPCXsY
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3 周Looking forward to seeing you all there!