Press release -
Business tourism to the fore in The Highlands
Event and conference organisers from throughout Scotland have been trying their hand at golf in Aviemore and Dornoch as part of a special VisitScotland familiarisation trip.
Hosted by the national tourism organisation’s Business Tourism Unit (BTU), the recent visit saw a ten-strong party - including event management, meeting, conference and incentive buyers – come to Aviemore, Inverness and Dornoch, where they visited a variety of tourism businesses and venues.
With a particular emphasis on showcasing what’s ‘new in the north’ the familiarisation trip focused on Golf in the Highlands ahead of the Ryder Cup coming to Scotland in September this year.
The tour started with the Spey Valley Club House at the MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort before moving on to the Culloden Visitor Centre then Achnagairn House. The group was treated to a preview of the new Scottish Showtime evening at Bogbain and was then shown round the new Conference Centre at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness.
Moving north, the group then visited Royal Dornoch Golf Club and Links House before finishing off their visit with a tour of Dalmore Distillery in Alness.
The two-day event was designed to bring together meeting planners and let them experience first-hand some of the region’s best venues, suppliers and event providers, enhancing the status of the Highlands and Scotland as a world-class destination for conferences, meetings and incentive travel.
Moira Unwin of the VisitScotland Business Tourism Unit said:
“Business tourism is a huge sector, worth £1.9 billion to Scotland’s economy. The Highlands have a great deal to offer in terms of venues and accommodation and this familiarisation trip was the perfect opportunity for industry professionals to enjoy the region at first hand.”
Bruce MacGregor, of Bogbain Farm, commented:
“We were delighted to host a preview night for our Scottish Showtime project. It’s vital to get folk along to previews who are involved at the coalface of tourism in Scotland. Their expertise and insights into the evening were illuminating and vital.
“This is a big project for Northern Roots Events and we're determined to create a product that is both enjoyable and entertaining for visitors."
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- business events
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
