Representatives from businesses and community organisations operating in local coastal towns are invited to attend the meetings, which will take place at:

the Town House in Buckie on Tuesday, August 9

at Lossiemouth Town Hall on Wednesday, August 10.

Both begin at 5.30pm and booking is not necessary.

It is hoped that the fund, which will run for two years, will amount to £400,000, with half coming from the European Fisheries Fund.

Applicants will be required to secure match funding from other sources and at least half of the projects must be led by the private sector. Projects which could be considered for funding include adding value to fisheries products, small-scale fisheries and tourism infrastructure, protecting the environment and architectural heritage and diversifying the economy.

Those attending will be able to find out more about the proposed new fund and contribute opinions and ideas about how it should operate. These may be incorporated into the fund’s business plan and strategy currently under development.

More information about the fund and the meeting is available from Moray Council development officer Alan MacBeth on 01343 563537 or by e-mail at alan.macbeth@moray.gov.uk

Moray Tourism Development is a membership organisation working to develop and promote Moray Speyside as an internationally renowned tourist destination.

We are looking for a part time Tourism Marketing Manager (3 days a week) to join our team.

You will manage the delivery of Moray Speyside’s marketing and related activity, including the promotion of the Moray Speyside brand, the development of a Moray Speyside website and a programme of business events.

You will also respond to enquiries and liaise regularly with local tourism businesses.

Based in Moray, you will require good interpersonal and communications skills and a high level of organisational and administrative skills.

For a job description please write to John Yeoman at The Tower, 103 High Street, Elgin, or e mail info@moray-tourism.info

Closing date for applications is 18 August, 2011

Dear Accommodation Provider You will have recently received an e mail from Tourism Resources Company (TRC), who have been commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Development International to undertake the first ever area-wide audit of tourism accommodation.

These brief questionnaires are being used to help provide data to inform future development and promotion of the Inverness and Moray region. If you have not already responded, please could you take a few minutes of your time to complete the questionnaire, which can be accessed by clicking on the following links or by copying and pasting the following web addresses into your browser:

Serviced Accommodation Operators: http://www.tourism-resources.co.uk/ContactUs/InvernessandMorayServiced.aspx

Non-Serviced Accommodation Operators: http://www.tourism-resources.co.uk/ContactUs/InvernessandMorayNonServiced.aspx Caravan /

Holiday Park Operators: http://www.tourism-resources.co.uk/ContactUs/InvernessCaravan.aspx

All individual information and responses will remain fully confidential. They will not be shared with anyone outwith TRC. The findings of the survey will be aggregated to provide average data.

Cullen Community Groups Join Together to Recreate Gala Weekend

Cullen will be the place to be from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th July.

Over the last few months, community groups across Cullen have been working together to create the Cullen Summer Festival. Zillah Jamieson, Vice-Chair of the Cullen Voluntary Tourist Initiative, indicated: “The Summer Festival weekend in Cullen is going to be a fantastic combination of entertainment and activities for all ages, including a Ceilidh with the Strathspey Fiddlers, a great fun family afternoon in Cullen Square, and an event to celebrate Cullen’s Fishing Heritage at the Harbour.

All those involved have taken inspiration from the 1991 Cullen Gala Programme which was a week of fun-filled activities; and whilst we have decided this year to make it a weekend event, we certainly hope that, next year, we will be able to extend the Festival and get back to the good old days of a Gala Week.”

The weekend kicks off with a tremendous combination of music and song from the Strathspey Fiddlers (compered by Gary Coull), and then moves on to a great fun family afternoon in Cullen Square. There will be lots of surprises on the Saturday afternoon, with some wacky ideas – including a Sandcastle Competition (yes – a sandcastle competition) in the square – Hook a Duck, Treasure Hunt, Children’s Storytime, Face Painting, Beat the Goalie and Children’s Fancy Dress. And everyone should watch out for some surprise visitors as well.

The evening entertainment will be a Dance at the Cullen Bowling and Tennis Club, to the music of Billy Findlay and Joe Mowat. On the Sunday, proceedings move down to the Harbour, where the Cullen Harbour Committee will be combining a series of demonstrations of traditional skills (including net mending and fish filleting), with a Knitting Display and a Kipper Barbeque with Cullen Skink.

There will also be visits from the Findochty Flotilla and the Buckie Lifeboat, as well as a Heritage Display to compliment the Display in the Memorial Hall. The Methodist Church will be rounding off the weekend with a Songs of Praise in the evening. Ashley Mowat, Chair of the Cullen & Deskford Community Council, commented: “It is really great to see so many community groups working together to make this weekend of entertainment happen.

Some of the older members of the community remember the Gala Weeks well; we will be keeping everything crossed that the weather is fine, although there are wet weather alternatives lined up, and everything will go ahead, come what may.” Malcolm Watt, Chair of the Cullen Harbour Committee and 3 Harbour Committee, said: “Ever since the replacement of the Cullen Harbour Beacon, we have been very keen to initiate an event which would celebrate Cullen’s Fishing Heritage; the range of demonstrations of traditional skills will be enlightening for many, and we hope that everyone will enjoy seeing the harbour filled with boats of many shapes and sizes. The harbours along this coastline are a fantastic asset.”

More information is available on www.discovercullen.com.

Event date: 16th October 2011 – 19th October 2011

This year, Chiapas, Mexico is hosting the ATTA Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) which is one of the key events for the global adventure travel community. ATWS will see over 600 delegates attend from around the globe including tour operators, tourism boards, media and service providers from more than 50 countries.

ATWS offers the opportunity to network with adventure travel professionals, have business to business meetings and undertake adventure sector professional development. To build on the legacy of ATWS 2010 being held in Scotland, a delegation of Scottish-based companies will be attending ATWS 2011 in Mexico.

To register your interest email lynne.carstairs@scotent.co.uk

Financial assistance to attend this event is available through the Visit Scotland Growth Fund on a first come first serve basis.

Tourism and Hospitality is vital to the Moray economy.

Moray offers great experiences in leisure, wildlife, fishing, attractions, history, whisky, golf and more. In order to make these experiences excellent, businesses must provide the best welcome, the best quality and above all the best service.

This can be achieved by ensuring that all staff have the knowledge and skills to perform their role effortlessly. The need for a strong workforce to realise business growth aims has been identified by local industry. During research completed in 2009, (Hospitality Skills Report) findings showed that employers need staff with skills in Customer Service and Leadership and Management.

As a direct result of this research with local industry, the Customers 1st project was proposed. In essence, Customers 1st aims to provide flexible, affordable skills training and professional development.

Customers 1st offers two key course options, starting September 2011, which are designed to provide maximum benefit to businesses and employees.

• SQA Level 3 in Hospitality Supervision and Leadership aims to enhance and develop the leadership and supervisory skills of candidates in or aspiring to lead teams in the workplace. Assessment is carried out in the workplace with regular tutorial visits and online support.
• City and Guilds Level 1 in Introduction to the Hospitality Industry is an 18 week foundation level course requiring 2 days college attendance per week. Candidates will be taught the essentials of hospitality including customer service, food service, food preparation & cooking and REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene. This provides an excellent foundation of knowledge for entry level employees or those who wish to progress within your company.

Both courses are available free to West of Moray businesses and can provide an excellent opportunity to ensure staff are trained quickly and effectively. Funded through the structural funds of the European Social Funding scheme match-funded by Moray College, the project has been approved to run until June 2012.

For more info:

Lauren Bochel

Telephone: 01343 576346 Email: lauren.bochel@moray.uhi.ac.uk

The Community Council is delighted to announce that the 2012 Calendar is now on sale in shops throughout Cullen – in plenty of time for the summer visitors to our area. This calendar marks a big change in design, quality and format from the last two years – both of which generated significant funds for community and heritage projects. The quality of photos from the competition was very high indeed, and this gave our national photographic adjudicator a very difficult task indeed.

The Community Council is indebted to all the photo competition entrants – without them, this calendar could not have been produced; to all our sponsors for their support; to Malcolm McBeath (our adjudicator); and to MMS Almac for their help in design and production, and working so hard to make it all happen in record time.

More info on Cullen web site

Lossiemouth to host showcase event as it awaits RAF closure decision

Campaigners in Lossiemouth are to stage a major free event in the town as part of the ongoing campaign to save closure threatened RAF Lossiemouth. Moray Task Force and Save RAF Lossiemouth Action Group have joined forces to host ‘Stand up and be Kilted’, just weeks before an expected decision on the future of the RAF base, which next week marks its 72nd anniversary.

Hosted by local raconteur Peter Mitchell, the free event will include a tartan themed fashion show and a performance from stand up comedian Fred MacAulay. Organisers says the event is designed to promote businesses in Lossiemouth – badly affected by the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the base – and promote the coastal town as a tourist destination.

It is hoped that the event could become an annual festival. Guests are being encouraged to wear a kilt or a touch of tartan to the event, which will be held in the newly refurbished Lossiemouth Town Hall on Sunday 8 May, from 2.00 – 4.00pm. Doors open at 1.30pm.

Organiser Lesley Ann Parker, chief executive of Moray Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of Moray Task Force, said: “We can be proud of the campaign we have fought to save RAF Lossiemouth. The campaign has been strong and united and there is no doubt that our voice has been heard at the highest level. However, it is clear that the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of RAF Lossiemouth has hurt the community hard and shaken business confidence in the town. “Despite the continuing uncertainty, we hope to raise community spirits by supporting local businesses and by promoting Lossiemouth as a great place to visit. We’re sending a message that Lossiemouth is very much open for business, and determined to continue the fight for the future of RAF Lossiemouth.”

Councillor David Stewart, chair of the Save RAF Lossiemouth Action Group, said: “The town has been on hold since the review of RAF Lossiemouth was announced. The delay is hurting businesses and causing concern for families in the town. We need answers from the UK Government and an end to the delay and uncertainty.” He added: “We want to encourage more visitors to come to Lossiemouth to enjoy our shops, bars, restaurants and attractions, discover more about our unique history and explore our stunning coastline. Events like this can only help to raise the profile of our region and showcase our enormous strengths as a tourist destination.”

Campaigners have also been pressing the UK Government for more clarity around the future of the RAF Kinloss site, due to close as an operational air base in the summer. The site has been identified as a potential military base for troops currently stationed in Germany.

Tickets for the event are available from Moray Chamber of Commerce (contact 01340 881226), Lossiemouth Post Office and Grampian Furnishers. Tickets are limited to two per person.

Workshops on:

Social media, Marketing, E-commerce, Record keeping , Business start up and marketing and selling skills.

To book any of the events below call Lynn on 01343 563634

Click on image below to see bigger version

Date: Wednesday 20th April 2011
Venue: Knockomie Hotel, Forres.
Time: 10:30am – 3.00pm

The event will include:

· Insights into Scotland and Moray’s key visitor markets and how you can align you’re marketing to     get maximum return.

· Background to the Moray Speyside brand and Moray’s target markets

· Recently gathered local intelligence

· Insights into some of Moray’s product niches: Food, Wildlife/Nature and Golf.

· A creative session to generate ideas for new products and collaborations

Book now to secure one of the last two remaining places by contacting Susan Catto, Highlands and Islands Enterprise,

t: 01463 244 450 or e: susan.catto@hient.co.uk

Full details available here: Intelligence and Innovation Workshop