Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership
08 February 2012
Check out the latest news from Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership - click on Pebbles to open the newsletter
T H E O F F I C I A L E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E B A N F F S H I R E C O A S T T O U R I S M P A R T N E R S H I P
2012 Looking Ahead! Let’s Work Together
With the new season racing towards us, now is the time to ensure we have all our t’s crossed and i’s dotted. In the rush to get prepared what we must not forget is the power of collaborative working and joint local promotions that can offer our visitors value added opportunities, generate more business and keep visitors coming. We want our visitors to come back and recommend Banffshire Coast to others and the key is to ensure that our visitors are well looked after, well informed and receive excellent service.
There are several examples of members working together and promoting other businesses. In 2011 we saw Boyndie Visitor Centre work directly with Macduff Marine Aquarium and Duff House. In 2012 there are a number of initiatives by members in development helping to increase visitor numbers and keep them spending in our region once they are here. Some examples are:
• A new regional Golf Pass providing reduced rates for golfing visitors currently under development and includes Royal Tarlair, Cullen and Turriff Golf Clubs.
• Durn House Guest House now works in partnership with Classic MG Highland Car Hire providing Classic breaks.
If you know of any others or are involved in any value added collaborations please let us know.
There are plenty of opportunities to get together and meet other members to develop ideas. So come along to any of our events where there is also an opportunity to network with others.
The next Networking Opportunity is the evening of 20th February at Banff Castle so keep the date free and come along. Details will be sent via Pebble-dash.
Don’t Forget . . .
The Banffshire Coast Website now has an events calendar on the front page that anyone can update. Businesses can now ensure their events are visible on the largest most visited tourism site in our region. Keep your events up-to-date.
Winter Workshops – The Next Steps
Don’t forget to book your place on any of our Next Steps Winter workshops.
The brochure is available via the members area of our website. You can also click on the travel tools button and then downloads to get to the details.
BCTP are supporting approx. 80% of the cost so grab a bargain and gear up for 2012.2
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North East
Scottish Thistle
Awards 2012
The Scottish Thistle Awards are designed to discover and celebrate excellence and innovation by the Scottish tourism industry for visitors. Businesses are encouraged to be proud of their achievements and to share ideas and best practice by taking part in the programme and entering the award categories.
There has been a great deal of press coverage with regards to the changes to the 2012 Scottish Thistle Awards which were undertaken after extensive industry consultation; the greatest change is that there are now regional champions from across Scotland in each of the sections. The four Regions are Highlands & Islands, North East, South Central East and South Central West - the North East covers the area of Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Dundee City Council and Angus Council.
The winners of the Regional Awards will become the finalists for the Scottish Thistle Awards 2012 and this is a tremendous opportunity for Aberdeen City and Shire to really showcase the quality of our tourism product and industry across the categories being judged. The categories are designed to reward people as well as businesses; they are clearer, easier to engage with and focus on industry priorities.
There will be 12 categories and entries will close on 2nd March 2012 at 1700hrs.
All information can be found on this link http://www. scottishthistleawards.co.uk along with Case Studies, FAQ’s, and information on the benefits of taking part and of course ultimately being a Scottish Thistle Award winner.
Photographic Library Project
Following the significant work involved in ensuring that we had appropriate permissions for the use of photography in the new Area Guide, it was agreed at the last BCTP Committee Meeting that we should develop a project to secure imagery that would be within our ownership and cover the entire region. As a result we have appointed a well-known local photographer, Lyn Macdonald, who has a very good knowledge of the area; her landscapes are produced as greetings cards and have sold regularly and steadily at selected outlets.
The objective of this project is to produce a library of max. 600 photographs that will provide BCTP with full copyright ownership for future use in publications, promotions, website as well as special events.
Photographs will represent all key areas across the four seasons with the split broadly being winter - 20%, spring - 30%, summer - 30% and autumn - 20%.
Our new photogaphic library will reflect the promotional themes of wildlife (including marine and birdlife), outdoor activities (including golf, walking, cycling, fishing), heritage and ancestry (including fishing, farming, aviation, architecture, genealogy, museums and festivals), light quality (including sunsets and sunrises), key events (including STBF, Turriff Show, Cornhill Highland Games and regular events such as Folk at the Salmon Bothy); these themes also encompass the current marketing initiatives in the areas of Marine, Walking and Birdwatching and Ancestral Tourism.
So if you see a strange lady wandering around with a camera do help if required and we will keep members up-to-date on progress.
Did You Know?
The Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320 by Scottish nobles to swear their allegiance to Robert the Bruce and state Scotland’s case for independence. "It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom."
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Open Day For Tourism Businesses - Thursday 29 March
Duff House is planning an Open House event on Thursday 29 March between 11.30am and 3.30pm. All tourism providers and businesses working in the area, ie local accommodation providers, taxi firms, coach tour operators, activity companies, local restaurants, cafes, visitor attractions, retail outlets, are warmly invited to come along. There will be a chance to network with other businesses and to hear what’s on offer at Duff House for visitors this summer so you can make a personal recommendation to your customers. To make the day a bit more special we are offering VIP access to the 2012 summer exhibition "August Sander" from ARTIST ROOMS - before it opens to the public! Also available on the day -
• Historical entertainment by Alba Adventure Company - performances are based on the lives of Jacobite clansmen with stories relating to the Duff family and Banff area during the ‘45 rebellion
• Goody bags with Duff House guide books and branded goods for you to take away
• Information about the 2012 summer programme and tours by Rachel Kennedy, the General Manager, who will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
The Aberdeenshire Council Ranger Service and local ancestral tourism groups have also been approached to present what they offer. The idea is to work together to share information and ideas to interest our visitors and keep tourists in the area for the economic benefit of everyone.
If you are available on 29 March would you like to come along and promote your attraction/services too? Duff House can provide a display table for your print and promotional material. (Space for pull-up display banners may be possible but please contact Duff House to discuss availability.)
Please call Jo Edwards on 01261 813000 to make sure a space is reserved for you. If you are not available Duff House can add your leaflet to their goody bags and will ask you for a supply nearer the time. Either way Duff House shall keep you informed of progress.
Duff House look forward to seeing you!
Did You Know . . . Scotland is amongst the world’s best for B&B’s?
Two Scottish guest houses are among the best across the globe, according to a survey.
Two guest houses, from the Highlands and Ayrshire, have been included in the ranks of the TripAdvisor annual survey.
The Old Manse, at Invermoriston, which came first last year, made it to the second spot on the survey which is compiled from tourist reviews.
The One Alloway Retreat from Alloway, Ayrshire was ranked eighth in the poll.
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Scottish Open Worth £5 Million To Scottish Economy
Last year’s Barclays Scottish Open contributed more than £5m to the Scottish economy despite being cut short by thunder storms, according to a new study commissioned by Highlands & Islands Enterprise. The study suggested £3.7m was spent in the Inverness and Nairn area, with a further £370,000 elsewhere in the Highlands and Islands. The rest was spent in other parts of Scotland. The majority of spending was on overnight accommodation, food and drink.
About 43,000 people attended the event over the three days when play took place, however a pro-am event during the week brought the total number of spectators to more than 51,000. It was the first time the Scottish Open, organised by the European Tour, had been held in the Highlands and Islands.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise development manager Scott Murray said: "The Scottish Open was hailed a success despite exceptional weather conditions cutting the event short. The majority of spectators in 2011 came from Scotland but we are expecting more visitors will come from further afield this year due to positive media coverage and a longer lead-in time before the event."
Did You Know . . . 2012 Is Year Of Creative Scotland?
A year long programme of events to celebrate Scotland’s world class culture and creativity will run throughout 2012. The year of Creative Scotland aims to build on the success of Homecoming 2009 and is part of the lead up towards the second year of Homecoming 2014.
Better By Design
Boutique hotels are outperforming the general market, according to a report in ‘Estates Gazette’, the commercial property magazine.
"Boutique hotels are really picking up", says David Harper, director of consultancy Leisure Property Services. "There used to be good trade in the top five-star venues, but people are shifting away from that for a bit more uniqueness. London hotels have improved revenue per available room by around 8-9%, but with the boutique hotels, trading has improved significantly – almost double that figure, at 15%."
"All run of the mill hotels have seen income go down", says Savills’ joint head of hotels, Rob Seabrook. "But the financial crisis has hit the boutique hotel market less than the three-and four-star markets".
Boutique hotels’ strong design ethos is partly responsible for their strength, says the report. The architect of the recently opened Zetter Townhouse in London was given the brief ‘as though a mad aunt with a penchant for travel’ had designed it. Such attitudes to risk separate the boutique from traditionally branded hotels and provide a point of differentiation which appeals to younger, affluent urbanites.
Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership
Banff Castle, Castle Street,
Banff. AB45 1DL Tel: 01261 815641
E-mail: info@banffshirecoast.com
www.banffshirecoast.com
Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership is a Company Limited by Guarantee in Scotland. Reg No.371382.
Registered Office: The Old School, Boyndie, Banff. AB45 2JT.
Project supported by:
Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership Programme is funded by:
Did You Know?
Did you know that there are about 540,000 words in the English language today which is about five times as many as during Shakespeare’s time?
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