Mercat Tours, a tour company offering walking tours of Edinburgh’s old town, closed 2023 with a clutch of industry-leading awards.
The company has successfully achieved a Home Office Sponsorship License, Living Wage Scotland ‘Local Champion Award’ and Green Tourism Gold Award.
Home Office Sponsorship License
Building their team and supporting the local community has helped the company thrive for almost four decades, from the team they nurture, the visitors they welcome and history they share on the walking tours of Old Edinburgh daily. The foundation of Mercat Tours is looking after their people, framed as the Mercat Deal.
These values are demonstrated in the company’s success in being granted a Visa Sponsorship Licence to welcome those outside the UK into a living wage job in the family business. Those requiring a sponsor for a skilled worker visa will be able join their diverse team and become part of the local community.
First sponsored visa-holder, Lindsay Evans, Content Executive at Mercat Tours said, “For Mercat, I was not a cog in the machine to be replaced when my time was up and graduate visa expired. My situation, instead, was one they realised they could commit to helping and in doing so, make Mercat more inclusive.”
Green Tourism Gold Award 2023
Mercat Tours help visitors enjoy the city on foot, the ‘greenest’ way to be immersed in the city’s past. They have won Gold from Green Tourism, renewed annually since 2012, which recognises their commitment to environmental and economic sustainability.
Andrea Nicholas, Chief Executive at Green Tourism said, “We’re delighted to mark the hard work of the Mercat Team over the last 12 years with Green Tourism Gold Award. Protecting our planet is a priority for us all and Mercat is a great example of leadership and responsible business.”
Local Champion Award Winners, Living Wage Awards 2023
As an accredited living wage employer, paying their team above the real living wage since 2016, Mercat’s commitment to fair work is well-established. Going beyond and amplifying their impact, the team won the Living Wage Scotland ‘Local Champion Award’ last month, recognising this mindset and influence.
Kat Brogan, Managing Director at Mercat Tours said, “In a troubled world it can be tough to know how to make a difference. At Mercat we choose to ‘control the controllable’, to do all we can to support our team and our community. The Living Wage Scotland movement binds a powerful and growing group of like-minded businesses who believe in positive activism and business for good.”
Click here to learn more about Mercat Tours.
