30/10/2026
Let me introduce myself! đź‘‹
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Amanda Hawick, and I am the Chair of the Shetland Tourism Association (STA).
I have spent almost 40 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, a journey that began right here training as a chef in Lerwick. Tourism isn't just my career; it is my life's passion, and I care deeply about how we welcome the world to our islands.
As our incredibly busy season begins to quieten down, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to every single person who has supported, volunteered, joined, and contributed to the STA and the opening of our new Tourism Centre this year.
The sheer volume of calls, emails, and messages we received, alongside your generous donations, has been truly overwhelming.
What makes this achievement so remarkable is that our valuable, voluntary organisation receives absolutely no public funding. When VisitScotland announced the closure of the local tourist office, our community faced a devastating loss. But we refused to let that happen.
Incredibly, this closure announcement came just six weeks after I stepped up as the new Chair of the STA. At that same AGM, the previous committee had all stepped down, wishing to close the independent tourism body entirely. Against all odds, with a completely fresh committee by my side, we refused to let the STA dissolve or let our islands lose their vital voice.
We were thrilled when the new owners of the building approached us, asking the STA to step in and reopen the doors for the thousands of tourists and locals who had cried out in the media to save this vital facility.
Behind the scenes, our small committee—entirely made up of local business owners who already run their own demanding hospitality and tourism operations—poured hundreds of unpaid hours into bringing this vision to life. They did this while navigating an intense tourist season, and while dealing with profound personal challenges behind closed doors that no one should have to face.
I want to personally thank every single committee member for their unwavering dedication and for supporting one another through thick and thin to make this happen. I also want to give a special mention to our part-time Development Officer, Michelle, for her immense commitment, professionalism, and for beautifully delivering our vision of what Shetland can offer.
Initially, we were only able to open two days a week. The response was immediate: from hundreds of people poured through the doors, proving just how desperately this service was needed, that figure today in seven months has reached over eighty thousand.
As the only independent, voluntary, member-led tourism organisation in Shetland, we are entirely powered by the community. If you are able to make a trip down Commercial Street, we would deeply appreciate a peerie bit of Shetland support and kindness for our volunteers and crsfters.
By stepping inside, you aren't just supporting a building—you are supporting over 70 local self-employed crafters who sell their work here, with many more on our waiting list.
Every single membership and donation makes a monumental difference to a peerie, hardworking voluntary association like ours. We simply cannot do this without you, and we are so incredibly grateful to have you standing behind us.
Thank you, Shetland, it is truly amazing what we can achieve when we pull together.
Amanda Hawick
Chair, Shetland Tourism Association
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