Scots hoteliers told to invest in going green... for more hospitality stories, see what the weekend papers say

A round-up of the weekend's news affecting the hospitality industry. News includes: London restaurant group report 40% profits VisitScotland admits using 10-year-old footage in advert Irish hotelier in bid for Florida Ritz-Carlton Top London tourist destination in buyout talks

Scots hoteliers told to invest in going green
Scotland is going to have to move rapidly if it is not to lose out on the multibillion-pound wave of green tourism sweeping the world, according to Peter Lederer, the chairman of VisitScotland. However, Lederer, who is also managing director of the world-renowned Gleneagles resort in Perthshire, which has invested heavily in going green, warned that as demand for eco-tourism increased there was a need to maintain consumer confidence. - The Observer, 23 September.

London restaurant group report 40% profits
The restaurant group founded by Sir Terence Conran has served up a 40% increase in profits in its first year since being bought out of the designer's company. D&D London, which owns Pont de la Tour, Blueprint Café and the recently opened Skylon at the Royal Festival Hall, recorded operating profits of £4.2m for the year to 31 March, against £3m the previous year. The strongest performers in the group included City venues such as Coq d'Argent, Paternoster Chop House and the outlets in the Royal Exchange. All achieved double-digit sales growth. - Sunday Times, 23 September.

VisitScotland admits using 10-year-old footage in advert
VisitScotland was last night at the centre of a row over misleading potential visitors after it admitted scenes in an advert showing the country as a winter sports wonderland were as much as a decade old. VisitScotland has admitted that the ice-climbing footage was filmed in Wester Ross, in the 1990s. Mountaineering experts insist these feats are now almost impossible to repeat because of global warming. - Scotland on Sunday, 23 September.

Irish hotelier in bid for Florida Ritz-Carlton
Dublin-based developer Paddy Kelly is poised to make a €125m (£87m) swoop to acquire the five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sarasota, Florida, after a bitter lawsuit involving the luxury premises was settled earlier this month. Kelly, who is one of Ireland's biggest hoteliers, confirmed he will attempt to initiate buyout negotiations within the next couple of weeks. His Prem Group has extensive hotel interests in Ireland and abroad, using brands such as Days Inn, Clarion and Holiday Inn. - Irish Independent, 23 September.

Top London tourist destination in buyout talks
Camden Market, one of London's most popular tourist destinations, might change hands for more than £350m. It is understood that Elliot Bernerd, the property entrepreneur who owns a 25% stake in the north London market, has tabled an indicative offer to buy out his business partners. - Sunday Times, 23 September.