January 25 is the 250th anniversary of poet Robert Burns’ birth, and the Scottish government hopes that worldwide interest in Burns will create an upsurge in tourist trade.
The Royal Mail is issuing a set of three stamps to mark the birthday, two carrying an image of the poet, and a third with another of his famous sayings: “A man’s a man for a’ that.”
The Royal Mint is also producing a limited-edition gold coin, selling for 475 pounds ($650), as well as an ordinary two pound ($3) coin inscribed with Burns’ words “We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne” – (for old times’ sake).
The stamps and the coins will be highly profitable, for they will never end up in circulation, but rather in collector’s closets.
Sunday also marks the start of “Homecoming Scotland 2009,” a campaign the tourism industry hopes will attract tourists with Scottish roots from around the world. A series of 300 events are planned, as well as a gathering of the clans, taking place in Edinburgh in July.
The tourist industry hopes the $7 million campaign will entice an extra 100,000 visitors, who could spend up to 40 million pounds ($56 million) in this year alone.
Fro more information, see a good AP article on the topic in the January 23, 2008 edition of SignOnSanDiego.com