Date is announced for tourism summit
The seventh Argyll and the Isles annual tourism summit takes place at the stunning new Drimsynie Hotel, on the Drimsynie Estate at Lochgoilhead, on Thursday March 7 from 9.30am to 4pm.
This year’s theme focuses on the up and coming 2020 Year of Coasts and Waters and Argyll and the Isles Tourism Cooperative’s (AITC) three product development priorities: food and drink, events and festivals, and adventure and wildlife .
With a mix of talks and breakouts, delegates will hear all about the the Heart and Soul of Scotland campaign – the innovative partnership between AITC, People Make Glasgow, Love Loch Lomond and all Argyll’s travel partners – and the exciting plans being shaped up for 2020 which will feature Argyll’s outstanding coasts and waters, seafood, whisky and gin.
Marc Crothall, from the Scottish Tourism Alliance, will provide an important update on the emerging national tourism strategy 20202030 and focus on the recently launched Food Tourism Strategy for Scotland – and helping explain where Argyll and the Isles fit in.
With a food and drink theme to the day, Gary MacLean will give a keynote presentation on the importance of provenance and will be cooking up some Scottish salmon as part of the lunch.
#The Loch Fyne Oyster Man will be serving up the freshest oysters from Argyll’s shores – and, for vegetarians and those not so keen on seafood, there will be lots more to sample and enjoy.
On the drink theme, and with the recent drink driving regulations having an impact on days out and short breaks, Inverarity Morton will share insights on new non-alcoholic beverages and innovative food pairings.
Chris Greenwood, senior insights manager at VisitScotland, will reveal the latest trends around ‘wellness’ – which is much, much more than spa breaks and medical tourism. Given the food and drink theme, he will also provide important insights on retail tourism trends.
On the adventure and wildlife theme, Sara Bellshaw, from UHI West Highland College, will explain what Slow Adventure Tourism entails and what it could mean for adventure providers across Argyll and the Isles.
Karl Stevens, from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, will reveal the new Hebridean Whale Trail which encompasses all of the Argyll and the Isles coastline – and beyond.
Katherine Gemmell and Deborah Chu will provide key insights into how The LIST event listings work, its relationship with VisitScotland, and its new CalMac guide to the islands. It will provide a candid overview of how well Argyll and the Isles features in what it does and what can be done to improve this.
As online visibility and bookability for activities and adventure providers is a top priority in AITC’s new product development programme, and agents Lynne Dow and Helen Dick will explain the support they are giving to businesses.
And as a legacy to the Year of Young People, Aileen Lamb, from Women in Tourism, will be chatting with Abbie and Andrea, graduate trainee managers from the Portavadie team, to reveal what motivates millennials to work in tourism and how to keep them in Argyll.
Register online at https://argyllandislessummit2019.eventbrite.co.uk – tickets cost £32.50 + VAT. This year’s event is very kindly sponsored by: Drimsynie Estate, Scottish Salmon, Inverarity Morton, Loch Fyne Oysters and Visit Scotland.