Ellen Drummond joins ASVA as the industry body’s first Communications Manager.
A communications and PR professional with extensive experience in promoting Scotland and its wealth of attractions has joined the executive team at ASVA – The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions – to enhance the support it provides to industry members.
Ellen Drummond has taken up the new role of Communications Manager with ASVA, the representative body for the visitor attractions sector, which is a major contributor to Scotland’s £11 billion tourism industry.
Ellen’s career in communications and PR, which has spanned a diverse range of industries across consultancy, in-house and freelance roles, has included 15 years in tourism and attractions. For well over a decade, she was contracted by Historic Scotland (now Historic Environment Scotland) to market its extensive portfolio of heritage attractions and grow visitor numbers and membership. Following that, she was with VisitScotland for four years, supporting the national tourism organisation in achieving its marketing goals by promoting regional visitor offerings and experiences. Most recently, Ellen worked as a Communications Consultant with leading PR consultancy Smarts which she joined after completing an extended maternity cover contract with STV as the media brand’s Communications and PR Manager.
ASVA Chief Executive Gordon Morrison said: “Effective communication is key to our efforts to represent and support our membership of more than 240 organisations and almost 500 sites throughout the country. We’re therefore delighted to have appointed a Communications Manager and Ellen’s experience of working with industry partners and stakeholders means she has an in-depth knowledge of our sector and a thorough understanding of both its opportunities and challenges.
“COVID-19 has of course created unprecedented challenges for visitor attractions – closures, travel restrictions and distancing requirements have all had a devastating impact on our businesses, but they’ve shown resilience, resourcefulness and adaptability in coping. It’s clear our members have valued our increased focus on communications to keep them informed and connected throughout the pandemic. In our 2020 members’ survey they scored communications an average 9 out of 10 as an ASVA membership benefit – ranking it second only to our work representing them and lobbying on behalf of the sector’s interests.”
Ellen Drummond said: “It’s great to be rejoining the industry at such a hugely important time as visitor attractions prepare to move forward from the effects of the pandemic and start to re-open their properties gradually and safely from 26th April onwards. I’m looking forward to supporting ASVA members over the next crucial 12 months as they work toward their business recovery and growth.”
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
