Scottish Tourism Week 2007: National Industry Conference
Wed 14 March
Macdondald Roxburghe Hotel, Edinburgh
'Profitable Growth for a sustainable future: A day where strategy meets the bottom line'
The Strategy
The conference was addressed by Patricia Ferguson MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Sport, and the theme of the day was 'Profitable growth for a sustainable future.'
The Tourism Framework for Change (TFFC) has been further refined since its launch in March 2006. The ten year strategy has developed five key themes, each with an industry champion. At this conference each industry champion outlined how the TFFC hopes to influence your business for the better.
Willie McLeod, Director of Visitor Services and Quality at VisitScotland, gave an insight into how VisitScotland see the vision of 50% growth turning into tourism turnover ambitions.
The Bottom Line
Local businesses across the country gave us feedback on the 'honest truth' and representatives from across Scotland summarised what each area can do to support the TFFC. Delegates had ample opportunity to quiz the morning speakers in a lively open floor debate.
The afternoon sessions got down to business on two key aspects affecting tourism growth: environmental sustainability and transport & tourism.
'The Green Bottom Line' focussed on the evolving customer demand for green operating business credentials. Crucially, delegates were signposted to Scottish support organisations that can save businesses money and improve their environmental marketing messages.
Transport is vital to tourism growth and we heard from Transport Scotland on national transport strategies and from First ScotRail on their development work with tourism businesses.
The day concluded with our dynamic keynote speaker, Khaled Shahbo, Vice President & Director, Enterprise Rent-A-Car (Scotland & Northern Ireland) who gave an absorbing presentation on the significant touch points of the customer experience of visitors to Scotland.
This was an open conference which non-STF members could attend.
The Politicians
Delegates were invited to attend the Scottish Tourism Week™ 2007 Parliamentary Reception at the Scottish Parliament which followed the conference on Wednesday 14th March and which took place in the Garden Lobby, Holyrood, from 6-8pm.
Two ministers (Patricia Ferguson and Tavish Scott) were in attendance and over 40 MSPs signed up to join the industry in an evening of celebration of Scottish tourism.
Sponsored by
BH&HPA, Highland & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise,
Scottish Tourism Forum, The Camping and Caravanning Club, VisitScotland
