Home » Scotland Travel News » Cultural Tourism Boost: Now, Edinburgh Trams Feature National Museum of Scotland Wrap for Greater Exposure
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Edinburgh City’s tram system with tramcar 256 being recently repainted and now presented in an overall advert to promote the National Museum of Scotland. This is only the second time this tram has carried an advert it previously featured window company C R Smith for more than seven years. It is all part of a wider drive to promote local cultural attractions, from the National Museum of Scotland to obscure art house cinema, and to celebrate the rich cultural experiences that Edinburgh offers both its inhabitants and tourists.
The fresh look on Tram 256 features a color palette inspired by light blue which are featured in the National Museum to promote exhibitions and the cultural role of the National Museum. The design blankets most of the tram and includes full height advertisements on sections three and five, key positions for catching passenger eyes. This move not only raises the public visibility of the tram in a city which has been waiting for it for so long, it also signals the crucial importance of cultural tourism to Edinburgh. With millions of tourists coming to the city each year, these sorts of inventive collaborations are a great way to raise the profile further on Scotland’s rich history and the importance of its national museums.
The Stake of Tram Advertising in Tourism
The refurbishment of Tram 256 forms part of a wider initiative to turn Edinburgh’s tram network into a canvas carrying messages promoting its leading visitor attractions and encouraging more people to visit them. The trams, which are a central element of the city’s public transport system, have become moving adverts for cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, as they travel around and give local residents and tourists an insight into what the city offers.
Edinburgh is renowned for some of the biggest festivals, historic sites and cultural cities on the planet. On Chambers Street, the National Museum of Scotland is one of the city’s most significant cultural landmarks. It draws visitors from all over the world who visit to discover Scotland’s history, culture and natural sites. The tram wrap is a great way to put a spotlight on this cultural treasure and get tourists and locals visiting the museum, where more than 20,000 artifacts take visitors from the earliest days to present times in Ukraine.
The tram wrap gives great visibility to the ad by allowing people on the tram itself, as well as people walking by to see the advertisement. The overall tram coverage of the city will ensure that the museum branding is visible to a broad audience including those travelling between key visitor attractions, hotels, and Waverley and Haymarket rail stations. This makes tram the perfect vehicle for advertising, more so due to the central function public transport plays in Edinburgh’s visitor economy.
Cultural tourism and local economic impact
Like most of the rest of Scotland, tourism is a pillar of the local economy, with the city providing a space for both local and international tourists. It must be added, that in this respect Manchester is by no means alone, for amongst other places the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is a similar target for tourists wanting to gain a better understanding of their destination’s culture and history. The move, to advertise the museum on the trams, offered the city the opportunity to give increased prominence to an attraction showcasing Scotland’s heritage and at the same time to contribute to its growing economy.
Go on to learn about unmatched collections on anything from prehistoric Scotland to Scotland’s impact on the industrial revolution and international collections that illuminate world history. The museum receives millions of visitors each year and is one of Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions. Advertising on trams not only brings more people into the museum but also stimulates spending the local economy, such as hotels, restaurants and other services.
With new visitor attractions continually being added by Edinburgh, the contribution of public transport to taking visitors to see local sights increases. By advertising with trams with contents apropos to the culture, the city is promoting its own identity as not just a cultural hub but a central piece of history in ensuring that tourists know the perfect destination to experience Scotland’s history first hand.
Further Developments and Trends in Tramway Advertising
Tram advertising in Edinburgh is an integral part of the city’s public transport network and used by residents and tourists alike. The trams offer a convenient and environmentally-friendly way for tourists to hop between Edinburgh’s airport, shopping districts and tourist spots. Making advertising sense of the National Museum of Scotland Trams in the city have displayed the many other tourism related businesses and events for which the iconic National Museum is one of number of high profile partners.
Tram sides advertising local attractions ensure visitors are literally surrounded by the unique experiences of Scotland’s capital. For instance, the trams frequently advertise the Edinburgh International Festival — which attracts thousands of international visitors every August and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the world’s largest arts festival.
In addition, tram advertising contributes to the general tourist experience of the city with guided tours, restaurants and retail businesses all being advertised on trams. This wide ranging approach to promote tourism in the Edinburgh area demonstrates the city’s dedication to encouraging visitors from all over the country and at all stages of their journey, from landing at the airport to sightseeing between attractions.
What’s Next: The Future of Tourism Marketing in Edinburgh
With tourism to Edinburgh increasing, trams as an advertising medium are also likely to increase. A collaboration between Edinburgh Trams and local cultural venues including National Museum of Scotland, the partnership is anticipated to pave the way for further advertising initiatives. Edinburgh is finally selling the best that the city has on offer by taking passengers on the tram to local tourism and cultural highlights.
Other cultural venues, events and tourist-related businesses in Edinburgh could imitate the National Museum of Scotland in looking for advertising opportunities on the city’s tram system to raise their profile among visitors because it is the future.
An efficient and enjoyable means of seeing the city for residents and visitors alike, the trams make it possible to take in all of what Edinburgh has to offer, from the National Museum of Scotland, to the numerous other museums, galleries, and cultural institutions sprinkled around the city.
(Source: Scotland Tourism.)
