Major players in Argyll and the Isles’ rapidly expanding tourism sector are preparing to attend the region’s annual tourism summit next week.
The event, organised by Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative (AITC) with support from VisitScotland, will be held at one of the area’s newest and most highly regarded venues – Lochs and Glens Ardgartan Hotel just outside Arrochar.
The summit gives local tourism businesses the opportunity not just to meet each other and discuss shared issues of interest or concern, but also to hear from key tourism operators regarding their experiences of doing business in Argyll and the Isles, and their plans for expanding that business in the future.
Among the speakers will be a representative of VisitScotland, who will present recently published research into rapidly changing visitor behaviours, designed to help local businesses understand what today’s tourists are looking for and how best to tap into the demand.
Ferry operator Calmac will also be represented, and will look in particular at the dynamics of such changing behaviours and how Argyll and the Isles might start tapping into a younger visitor market.
Other high profile speakers include Gordon Watson, the newly appointed chief executive at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Robert Kidd of Glasgow-based holiday organiser McKinlay Kidd, Stef Lauer of Wilderness Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance chief executive Marc Crothal and Neil Wells, managing director of coach and hotel giant Lochs and Glens Holidays, which owns the Ardgartan Hotel.
AITC chairman Gavin Dick said: “This event is inked into the calendars of tourism-related businesses across the region as it provides a vital snapshot of where the local tourism sector is at the moment and where it should be aiming to be in the future.
“We will be exploring how this wonderful region is marketed and promoted not just by individual businesses, local marketing groups and AITC, but also by the many operators who bring visitors to our doorsteps.
“This is an exciting time for the local tourism sector, and we’re hoping for a bumper holiday season in 2015. I look forward to welcoming our delegates to Ardgartan next week and hearing first-hand how their preparations are going.”
The event runs from 10.30pm-4pm on Tuesday March 17.