Edinburgh festivals make huge contribution to city life:survey

Edinburgh's festivals attracted combined audiences of more than 4.5 million in 2015 with increased revenues for Scotland, official figures showed on Tuesday.

The suite of festivals held in the capital of Scotland generated 280 million pounds (367.91 million U.S. dollars) for Edinburgh and 313 million pounds for Scotland, representing an increase of 19 percent and 24 percent respectively on the previous 2010 study, the Edinburgh Festivals 2015 Impact Survey found.

The survey also showed the festivals were gateways for year-round audience development, with 68 percent of those attending the festivals more likely to attend another cultural event, creating a sense of civic pride amongst 89 percent of local festival goers.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Edinburgh can quite rightly be proud of the stage it provides to our world-renowned festivals, and the welcome hospitality it provides to visitors, performers, promoters and many, many others through the season."

She hailed the huge economic impact and the platform the festivals provided to showcase the country's rich culture and creative talent, highlighting the Scottish government's support of 2 million pounds this year to Edinburgh's festivals through its Expo Fund.

Research for the impact study took place during 2015, starting with the Edinburgh International Science Festival in April and concluding at Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations at New Year's Eve. (1 pound = 1.31 U.S. dollars) Endit