Welcome To Tourism Day

Welcome to Tourism featured a range of events and projects whereby tourism businesses can really get involved at the sharp end of Scottish Tourism Week.

Activities which took place included the following:

  • Politicians Challenge
    Scottish Tourism Forum challenged local councillors, MSPs, MPs and MEPs to visit a tourism business in their area
  • Back to the Floor
    This exciting project led by Pride & Passion involved tourism managers rolling up their sleeves to work alongside front line staff, finding out first hand how their business is delivering the customer experience.
    View reports and pictures of tourism managers who participated on the Pride & Passion website
  • Schools Open Day
    Springboard Scotland co-ordinated this superb opportunity to capture the interest of young talent in our great industry.
  • Adult Returners to Work
    Springboard Scotland also helped to highlight the issue of people are looking to return to work and who may have life skills suited to our service industry.

 

Welcome to Tourism included the following events:

Monday 12th March

  • Scholar's Restaurant, Glasgow Metropolitan College,  Showcase Lunch
    Glasgow Metropolitan College hosted a lunch for industry guests to support Scottish Tourism Week. The lunch showcased diversity in our industry with students cooking and serving the food. Graham Smith from the University of Strathclyde presented information about his pilot programme for Advancing Women's Employability, highlighting the benefits of employing older workers.
  • Fort William
    Twelve young people from Lochaber and Skye teamed up to experience the world of hospitality, leisure and tourism in the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK' Fort William. These young people are currently gaining the necessary skills to seek employment in the industry through the governments 'Get Ready for Work' programme. On 12th March, the participants had an opportunity to hear from employers what skills they want from new employees and the young people were able to see first hand the career options available in the dynamic industry of tourism.

Tuesday 13th March

  • 'Let's do Launch!' Targeting Tourism, Perth College, UHI Millennium Institute, 10am,-4pm:
    Info Day: Helping those interested in tourism to meet employers, industry representatives, college staff and students.
    Award winning students demonstrated napkin folding...chef students prepared and served canapes...Polish food was also on offer...course info on food, hospitality, travel and tourism. There were also superb prizes from Travelcare.

Thursday 15th March

  • Springboard Scotland's Skills Challenge
    200 pupils from Millburn Academy in Inverness were put to the test to use their creativity, communication, team building and selling skills to impress a panel of judges with their ideas for an unique tourism icon for their area. The students were divided into groups of 10 and had a set budget and time frame to create their idea from recycled materials and the use of their imagination! (This event also took place on Friday 16th March)

Friday, 16th March

  • Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort
    The Resort's Executive Chef Gordon Dochard hosted an event with Grantown Grammar. The pupils met the chefs and kitchen brigades.
  • Macdonald Holyrood Hotel hosted Carole Arbuckle from Queen Margaret University
    General Manager Paul Spencer and his departmental heads gave Carole an absorbing insight into the day to day management of a four star hotel.
  • Glasgow's Thistle Hotel hosted a visit for 20 students from Cardonald College in Glasgow.
    This was an excellent opportunity for the students to have a tour of the hotel and to find out first hand about the different departments and all of the career opportunities available.
  • VisitScotland's Marketing Team in Edinburgh host Gabrielle Smith from Stevenson College
    This was a great opportunity for tourism student Gabrielle to find out more about how Scotland is promoted, locally, nationally and internationally.
  • Hilton Hotel, Coylumbridge, Aviemore
    The Hotel participated in the 'Back to the Floor' initiative, with managers swapping jobs with other staff
  • Inverness: Drumossie Hotel and Express by Holiday Inn
    Both hotels invited local school pupils in for 'Front of House' and 'Food & Beverage Challenges
  • Student placements within the industry
    Students from the following colleges/universities were spending a day with an industry employer to get a great welcome to the industry:
    Adam Smith College
    Ayr College
    Borders College
    Cardonald College
    Reid Kerr College
    Queen Margaret University
    Stevenson College