Grant aid for projects in the fisheries area can offer capital and revenue grants based on approximately 50% eligible costs. Projects in certain circumstances may be able to receive more than 50% funding if there is a substantial benefit to the FLAG area.

Eligible projects can apply for a minimum grant of £2,500, with match funding being available from the applicant or other sources.

The scheme is targeted at small and medium sized enterprises (employing less than 250 people) located within the Moray local authority area, stretching from Cullen to Burghead.

For more information visit www.morayfisheriesfund.co.uk

The events have been pulled together by members of the Highland Tourism Partnership (HTP) and the Inverness Hotels Association.

Scottish Tourism Week is now in its seventh year, and was initiated by the Scottish Tourism Forum in 2006 to raise the profile of the industry’s importance to the Scottish economy, to encourage business networking and to bring together the public, private and elected sector towards a positive single agenda.

Some of the events taking place in the Highlands include the launch of Dark Skye Discovery. Nine sites on the Isle of Skye have been accredited with Dark Sky status, offering fantastic opportunities to view the wonders of the universe from sites with some of the least light pollution in Scotland. Professor John C Brown, – Astronomer Royal for Scotland, will lead the observations meeting and explain what to see on site.

Networking events and workshops will take place at various locations across the Highlands, including a “Springle” in Lairg where all businesses involved in tourism will be able to go along and learn more about other providers in the area. Other workshops taking place in Wick, Lochinver, Fortrose and Helmsdale will look at how businesses can learn to better understand their customers and go the extra
mile to exceed their expectations.

The Inverness Hotels Association (IHA) has created a competition with all the primary schools in the Inverness area, asking that the children create a starter, main course or desert, or all three and, using the theme of the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, create a menu, a picture of what the dish would look like and a brief description of what the dish represents about Scotland or could tell visitors about Scotland. The idea is that they use any ingredients and be a creative as they like.

The winners from the competition along with their teachers and key representatives from the tourism industry in the Highlands will be invited to a gala lunch on Monday 12^th March where their creations will be served to a range of business professionals and hopefully some famous celebs as well! The children will also have the opportunity to explain their dish description and what their creation represents during the lunch.
This event is being created and supported by the IHA, and every school taking part will receive a prize from the IHA members that they can use towards their next fundraising event.

As part of the Highland Tourism Partnership’s programme of events during Scottish Tourism Week, Forestry Commission Scotland is running three familiarisation events across the Highlands for representatives from the tourism industry.

Marina Huggett, Highlands and Islands representative for the Scottish Tourism Forum and a member of the HTP, said: “We are delighted that so many of the Highlands areas have embraced the potential of Scottish Tourism Week and organised localised events. The local events have all been designed to inspire and motivate the industry and to increase awareness of the importance of tourism within the wider community.”

Scott Armstrong, Regional Director for VisitScotland, said: “It is fantastic to see so many events in the Highlands as part of Scottish Tourism Week and members of the HTP and the IHA are to be commended on pulling them all together. Scottish Tourism Week is a great chance for everyone involved in the tourism industry to raise its profile, particularly now when there are so many opportunities for tourism businesses to take advantage of and use to grow over the next three years in the run up to the second Year of Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup in 2014.”

Members of the HTP include representatives from the following groups & organisations: Destination Loch Ness; North Highland Tourism; Celtic Fringe; Moray Tourism Development; Cairngorm Business Partnership; Destination Skye & Lochalsh; Outdoor Capital of the UK; Scottish Tourism Forum; Federation of Small Businesses; Forestry Commission Scotland; Cairngorm National Park Authority; The Highland Council; the Moray Council; VisitScotland; Scottish Natural Heritage and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

A list of all the events can be found on the Scottish Tourism Forum (STF) website at the following link – http://www.stforum.co.uk/scottishtourismweek/stw2012/htp.aspx

A target for a 50% boost in Scotland’s tourism industry by 2016 cannot be met, the Scottish Parliament’s economy committee has warned. The 10-year Scottish government growth plan was set in 2006, before the global economic crisis hit.

In a new report, the Holyrood committee cited industry concern the target was “not considered achievable”. Scotland’s multibillion-pound tourism industry is said to support more than 200,000 jobs.

In 2006, the previous Scottish government, under its tourism strategy for the decade ahead, outlined its ambition for a 50% real-terms boost in tourism revenue under a plan to “keep pace with global trends over the next 10 years”.

The target was carried forward when the SNP came to power, but the cross-party Holyrood committee, which has been investigating the issue and took evidence from a range of industry figures, raised concern.

Its report stated: “The committee welcomes the ambition of setting and trying to achieve a high tourism growth target, but notes the evidence from witnesses that the 50% target is not considered achievable.”

The committee also raised concern that there is currently no proper way to measure how well Scottish tourism is doing, and urged the government to consider setting up a new system for gathering statistics and other performance-related information.

It also asked tourism agency VisitScotland to provide annual updates on whether the 50% target will actually be met, as well as a plan to deal with any shortfall.

MSPs also urged ministers to look again at the level of training opportunities available to people wanting to pursue a career in the industry.

The committee also said events like the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, in Gleneagles – both in 2014 – were a major opportunity to showcase Scotland as a major tourist destination.

A Scottish government spokesman, said official figures had shown an 8% rise in visitor numbers in the first nine months of last year.

“The committee has produced a wide-ranging report and we are pleased that they have highlighted some great examples of activity in the tourism industry and the agencies involved,” said the spokesman.

“Moving forward, we remain ambitious for Scottish tourism and what can be achieved.”

Scottish tourism is worth £4.2bn every year and employs about 215,000 people, according to trade association, the Scottish Tourism Forum.

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