Press release -
Tasty opportunity for tourism
Over 180 representatives of tourism in Dumfries & Galloway – annually worth £292 million to the region’s economy – gathered in Dumfries yesterday (Tuesday 28 April) for this year’s industry conference.
Organised by VisitScotland and Dumfries & Galloway Council, the event at the Cairndale Hotel & Leisure Club provided an opportunity for businesses - ranging from accommodation providers to attractions, tour guides to transport operators and restaurants to retailers - to celebrate the industry and focus on the opportunities presented by the Year of Food & Drink Scotland 2015.
Introducing the conference were VisitScotland Regional Director Paula McDonald and Councillor Colin Smyth, Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Chair of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee. Delegates then listened to presentations from Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, Stephen Jardine, Scottish media presenter and head of food and drink communications company Taste Communications, Fiona Richmond, Project Manager of Scotland Food and Drink, and Barry Graham of Loch Arthur Creamery and Farm Shop.
Councillor Colin Smyth, Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Chair of Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee said:
“Tourism is at the heart of economic success in Dumfries & Galloway - supporting more than 5,300 jobs, sustaining communities and worth £292 million to the region’s economy - so the Council is committed to supporting the industry and working with it to ensure that Dumfries & Galloway is recognised more widely as a world-class destination where visitors can enjoy a fantastic experience and get a taste of the very best that Scotland has to offer.”
One of the main aims of yesterday’s event was to encourage and inspire businesses throughout the region to capitalise on the Year of Food & Drink and take advantage of the fact that Dumfries & Galloway boasts so many excellent food and drink suppliers.VisitScotland research shows that visitors will pay up to 15% more for traditional dishes and fresh local produce, so Dumfries & Galloway’s regional larder has a huge role to play in growing its economy.
To help and encourage conference attendees to make connections with local food and drink suppliers and appreciate the range of great Dumfries & Galloway produce which is available, the event included a mini-showcase of producers from all over the region.
Taking part and giving attendees a chance to sample their wares were - Barscobe Castle (handmade nut butters), Wigtown’s Galloway Chillies (fine chilli preserves) The Little Bakery (breads and savoury pies), By Heck (traditional jams and preserves), In House – Chocolates By Design (chocolates and truffles), Wee Sweetie Confectionery Creations (flavoured sweets and fudges), Moniaive Chocolate (chocolates), Cream o’ Galloway (ice creams and dairy-free sorbets), The Wee Tea Company (loose leaf teas) and Annandale Distillery (single malt whisky).
VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said:
“I am delighted that so many local Dumfries & Galloway businesses attended this year’s tourism conference and producers’ showcase. This really demonstrates the level of commitment there is within the industry here to build on the region’s already strong tourism offering and capitalise on the Year of Food & Drink 2015. We support this passion through a range of measures such as VisitScotland’s Taste Our Best Quality Assurance Scheme and also a bespoke online food and drink business toolkit – and I would urge local businesses, small and large, to take advantage of these.
“Food and drink is Scotland’s fastest growing sector; the industry is incredibly important to Scottish tourism. Our country boasts some of the finest produce in the world and the Year of Food & Drink gives us a fantastic opportunity to promote our superb natural larder and quality produce - not only to our visitors, but also to our local markets.”
-ENDS-
Image shows, from left to right - Councillor Colin Smyth of Dumfries & Galloway Council , Barry Graham of Loch Arthur, Fiona Richmond of Scotland Food and Drink, Malcolm Roughead of VisitScotland and Stephen Jardine of Taste Communications
For more information contact:
Mon - Thurs Ellen Drummond Ferroni, VisitScotland Regional Corporate Press OfficerTel: 0141 566 4019; Mob:07801 820757; Email: ellen.drummondferroni@visitscotland.com Thurs & Fri Sharon Makepeace; VisitScotland Regional Corporate Press Officer Tel: 01387 245 564/07771 981 236; Email: sharon.makepeace@visitscotland.com Out of hours media enquiries: 07699 766986 |
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- year of food and drink
- 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 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.
To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy 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
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
