Correspondence: Marco, Truffelli, Fairways Business Park, Deer Park Road, PO Box 121, Livingston, EH54 8AF, Scotland Tel: 00 44 (0) 506 832 103; Fax: 00 44 (0) 506 832 111; E-mail: marco.truffelli@visitscotland.com

¹Marco Truffelli is Chief Executive of visitscotland.com since July 2004, Marco's vision is to establish visitscotland.com as the foremost place for visitors to choose to book their accommodation and plan their Scottish holiday activities. A graduate of The Liceo Classico Delpino, Italy, Cornell University and holder of an MBA from Edinburgh University Management School, Marco was a recipient of a prestigious Thistle Award in 1997 as Manager of the year. During his 16 year career, previous roles have included Managing Director and IT Director of The Townhouse Company as well as senior management positions with Premier Resorts & Hotels in the Caribbean. In an advisory capacity he has also worked with the Edinburgh Principal Hotel Association, VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Chair of the Ancestral Tourism Steering Group for Scottish National Agencies.

Received 7 July 2006.