2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. Recognizing Burns’s global importance and hoping to attract members of the diaspora back to Scotland to celebrate his birthday, the Scottish government has also declared 2009 to be the year of Homecoming; Burns is, after all, worth 157 million pounds a year to the Scottish economy. The Centre for Scottish Studies is celebrating Burns this year by hosting a series of public events and an academic workshop on Robert Burns in a Transatlantic Context which will highlight Burns in the Americas, where he has had arguably his greatest impact.
http://www.sfu.ca/personal/leith/TransatlanticBurns.htm

THE poet Robert Burns died with debts of £14 and assets of just £15 but he is now worth £157 million a year to the Scottish economy.
From The Times January 24, 2003

Aulyin, you certainly wrote at one point that Burns is worth £3 million a week to the Scottish economy, but I am still waiting for some evidence for that figure!
Bruce Post subject: Re: The Robert Burns International Airport
Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:16 pm

I've contact the Ayrshire Post and Daily Record as well as West Sound Radio...

As an Ayrshire MSP, I focus my remarks on the significance of the debate for Ayrshire and my constituency. Last year, tourism in Ayrshire was worth £176 million, and employed 11 per cent of the total workforce. The top visitor attractions were mainly connected with historic buildings, visitor parks or museums. I am sure that it comes as no surprise to members that some of the most visited places are connected with our great bard Robert Burns. Those include the Burns cottage in Alloway, the Burns national heritage centre and the Burns museum. In addition, we have Culzean, Brodick and Dean castles, as well as Dundonald castle, to which the minister referred, each of which has different attributes and a different place in our history.
I will also mention Eglinton country park, the ancient home of the Montgomerie and Eglinton families, and Vikingar, the museum that tells the story of the battle of Largs against the Vikings in 1263. The potential for such sites is evident, but the debate offers an important opportunity to consider how we ensure that the full potential of our historic environment is realised.
We know that 95 per cent of overseas tourists access Ayrshire by air, which is far greater than the 75 per cent average for Scotland as a whole, so it is clear that there is a link between Prestwick airport and tourism in Ayrshire. However, I was disappointed to note from recent published figures that, while passenger numbers for Edinburgh are increasing, the numbers at Prestwick are falling.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?gid=2 ... 11.21060.0

Robert Burns is of enormous value – socially and economically – to Scotland. A Scottish Executive commissioned study estimates that his legacy is worth around £157 million to the economy in terms of tourism and commemorative events, such is the legacy of Robert Burns’ work.

http://www.alexneilmsp.net/index.php?su ... m=&ucat=1&