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"We were very impressed by the initial pitch made to us by the Scottish Rugby to host the Heineken Cup final and their partnership approach with The City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and EventScotland has already created a huge buzz in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.
"The recent Heineken Cup tour they undertook, when former cup winning skipper Andy Nicol trailed the Heineken Cup around the country to heighten awareness, was a huge success and the appetite from the Scottish sporting public to attend this prestigious fixture is obviously growing. Fans from more than 10 countries have already bought tickets and we still have six months to go to the final.
"ERC is keen to see another capacity occasion for the Heineken Cup final following on from the recent sell-out successes at Twickenham, the Millennium Stadium and Parc des Princes and we believe we are on the right track to achieve our goal of filling Murrayfield," he added.
Economic impact studies undertaken show that international matches at Murrayfield can contribute up to £10m to the Edinburgh economy and £20m to the Scottish economy overall. However, it is estimated that the Heineken Cup Final could add an even more significant sum to the economy due to the large number of non-Scots based supporters coming to the city.
Scottish Rugby's Head of Marketing, Alasdair Russell, said: "We're very pleased that ticket sales have been going well so far. We want to make this the best ever Heineken Cup Final not just for the fans but for the teams involved, the media and the key stakeholders. The Heineken Cup Final is part of Scottish Rugby's events strategy which looks ahead to the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
"We have already started a significant marketing campaign with Heineken Cup Ambassador Andy Nicol. As well as being a former Scotland captain, Andy won the Heineken Cup with Bath and is the only Scot to captain a cup winning side in the competition so far. Andy took the cup on a tour around Scotland over the last month and made 18 stops around the country, travelling as far as Orkney and the Hebrides. He took the cup over 1250 miles, allowing 100,000 people to see it."
Edinburgh's Lord Provost, Lesley Hinds said: "This is great news that supporters are already securing their seats for the Heineken Cup Final in Edinburgh next year. We're working hard together to bring about the most successful final ever and to ensure we showcase Edinburgh as a world class host."
VisitScotland Chief Executive, Philip Riddle, said: "We are delighted that sales are progressing so well and are confident that an event of this calibre will continue to attract UK and European visitors to purchase their tickets over the coming months. The fact that the Heineken Cup final is taking place on a Sunday gives people the perfect opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a weekend break in Edinburgh or beyond which is a fantastic boost to the tourism economy."
EventScotland Chief Executive, David Williams, said:" We are very encouraged by the number of tickets sold so far. EventScotland are always keen to attract people to our country so they can experience the renowned warm welcome in Scotland and the Heineken Cup Final is a fantastic way of illustrating Scotland's impressive reputation for hosting large international events."
Scotland is the fifth country to host the biggest club game in world rugby - the 10th anniversary Heineken Cp Final.
