Dundee leisure and culture venues get on board with new gift card

A new local gift card to help boost tourism and support efforts to keep spending local is set for launch in Dundee.

The new Dundee Gift Card is part of a Scottish Government led initiative to give every region of Scotland its own Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, driven by Scotland’s Towns Partnership, alongside Perth based fintech Miconex

Leisure & Culture Dundee venues including Broughty Castle, Mills Observatory, Dundee Ice Arena, Camperdown Wildlife Centre and The McManus Art Gallery & Museum will accept the new Dundee Gift Card, alongside, alongside V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum.

The card will also be accepted at retail, hospitality, health and beauty, services and accommodation providers in the city, with more than 60 businesses signed up to date. Each gift card is a prepaid Mastercard, with the balance automatically deducted from the card.

Moira Methven, Chair of Leisure & Culture Dundee said: “We’re pleased to be able to showcase our venues through the Dundee Gift Card. The gift card has the power to drive significant spending across Dundee, both by providing local people with an easy way to give the gift of Dundee, and by encouraging additional visits and spend from tourists.”

Paul Campbell, Engagement Officer at The McManus, which picked up the Best Visitor Attraction award at the 2020 Scottish Thistle Awards said: “The pandemic has been a difficult time for all visitor attractions, but we are thrilled to be welcoming visitors back to our art gallery and museum. With a Dundee Gift Card in their pocket, people can shop, but also go to a museum, visit Camperdown Wildlife Centre or go ice skating, it’s a way to experience all that Dundee has to offer.”

Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “Dundee has so much to offer visitors in terms of culture, heritage and retail and the Dundee Gift Card will make it easier for people to enjoy the best of the city.”

STP Chief Officer Phil Prentice said: “It’s fantastic to see Leisure & Culture Dundee and Dundee City Council showing their support for the Dundee Gift Card. Their backing – and that of a growing number of other organisations – will help build a stronger future, providing another way in which people can support local businesses.

“The greater the variety and number of businesses that are part of the gift card, the more appealing it will be for a wide range of customers, and for a wide range of uses – from birthdays, occasions such as Mother’s Day and Christmas, and for corporate rewards. We have never valued local life, the people and businesses around us more. The Scotland Loves Local Gift Card embraces that.”

Card operator Miconex supports more than 130 gift card programmes across the UK, Ireland and North America. Miconex Managing Director Colin Munro said:

“There are over 70,000 households in Dundee, if each household bought or were given a £50 Dundee Gift Card, that would be over £3.5 million locked into Dundee for the benefit of local businesses of all types, including those that have suffered significantly during the pandemic, like arts, culture, leisure, retail and hospitality. There is huge potential for the Dundee Gift Card to support local people, jobs and businesses at this vital stage in the recovery process.”