Tourism is the business
Tourism in Argyll has been growing year on year and is estimated to be worth more than £300million to the local economy, employing more than 6,000 staff. In the coming years, the tourism industry will be presented with new opportunities and challenges that will need to be addressed to ensure its continued success. Argyll Enterprise Week’s Tourism Day aims to provide businesses within the sector with practical advice on dealing with these emerging trends. The event, to be held at the Gathering Halls, Oban, on November 7, is packed with talks, workshops and a marketplace to inspire, inform and connect the industry. The programme allows delegates to dip into topics of most interest, network with businesses from across the region, and identify practical actions to help drive forward each individual business’s ambitions. The opening keynote ‘Why tourism is the most important industry in the world’ will be delivered by Gordon Campbell Gray, of Campbell Gray Hotels, which develops and operates luxury hotels around the world and is working to make the Machrie Hotel on Islay an outstanding luxury venue. This tourism event is being organised in conjunction with Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC) and includes a marketplace allowing participants to meet with organisations which can provide help and support. The day focuses on the five key topics identified by the Scottish Tourism Alliance: your customers, your digital, your costs, your people and your voice. The final session is on the Wild About Argyll marketing campaign and how to get involved. Going forward, there will be a focus on developing adventure tourism, food and drink tourism, and events and festivals. Calum Ross, Chair of AITC, says: ‘We have an exciting programme of activity throughout the day. We have drawn in a number of experts able to offer very practical and tailored advice. We will be using this opportunity to highlight our future work programme and the key opportunities for individual businesses to get involved. Our team will be there to talk through individual thoughts and ideas and ensure everyone has key points of contact as we move forward with our ambitious three-year programme.’ Book a place at https://aew2017-tourismbuildingonsucess.eventbrite.co.uk.