We like to promote businesses that are open for the Festive period. Do you have special events planned during the festive period? Let us know and we’ll promote it via MoraySpeyside, and via several Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Email opening times/events etc to info@moray-tourism.info
Merry Christmas!
The team at 4TM-Guide has been asked to deliver a social media campaign for the Moray Tourism development group.
The use of social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and many other sites is now crucial to market a destination to international visitors. A Facebook page and Twitter account have been launched and these will be active connecting with potential visitors and promoting the destination.
To launch MoraySpeyside there is a “Best holiday in the world” competition, where one (very) lucky couple can win a holiday of a lifetime enjoying a few of the many attractions our area has to offer.
See the www.MoraySpeyside.com web site for more details which is set up as a temporary holding page for the social media campaign. People can register their interest to win the Holiday of a lifetime. This campaign will be advertised using Facebook, Twitter, Tripadvisor and other forums with the potential to reach a wide international audience.
We’re still looking for some unique prizes which can help create awareness of the destination. This campaign will run for a few months so let the team at 4TM-Guide know if your business likes to be involved with this exciting social media campaign. There is no costs involved apart from offering a unique experience.
Tricker PR has been commissioned to deliver a PR campaign to support the launch of MoraySpeyside.
PR is very important to promote a destination and the team at Tricker PR are off with a flying start, which has already resulted in a few publications in local, regional and national Scottish press, travel/tourism websites, UK national and regional media.
Press Releases
Some examples of the press releases issued for immediate and future print are:
Brand Launch
The brand launch PR campaign will be issued in the new year. The campaign will include a high quality photo shoot at a stunning location, featuring a quirky ‘Whisky Barrel to High Street Fashion’ theme.
Feature Articles
Feature articles will be issued with editors of the Scottish national papers such as The Scotsman, The Herald etc., Food and Drink publications and websites and national papers such as the Express and Mail job sections.
Some examples of the Feature articles are:
Press Trips
Work continues in organising press trips. The majority of publications are unable to set up trips until January, with coverage hopefully coming out as soon after the trips as possible.
Journalists have been specifically targeted to discuss press trip opportunities. There has been interest from:
Competitions
Two competitions, one print and one electronic, have been placed in target media:
If your business would like to be involved with PR activities let us know.
A Moray charity is offering the chance to bid for a Christmas gift with a difference.
Buckie Lifeboat Station and Moray Chamber of Commerce have teamed up with one of the UK’s top crime novelists to offer a special treat for fans of the crime scene in a unique charity auction.
Award winning Scottish crime writer Stuart MacBride is offering the chance to become immortalised as a character in one of his forthcoming novels, due to be published in 2012.
Aberdeen based MacBride has wowed the critics and topped the Scottish best sellers list with his Logan McRae series of crime novels, set in Aberdeen. His latest title, Dark Blood – the sixth in the series, explores the gritty underside of the Granite City as fictional hero Detective Logan McRae helps a violent criminal adjust to a new life on the straight and narrow.
Bidders have until 31 December to stake their claim for this unique prize. The winning bidder will meet Stuart MacBride to allow the writer to explore their character and life history. MacBride will then cast the winner as a fictionalised character in his upcoming novel. But MacBride doesn’t guarantee your good side will shine through. Past winners have been cast as murderers, violent thugs and gangsters’ molls.
To secure the prize, bidders will need to dig deep in support of Buckie Lifeboat Station. The top bid is currently £800, offered by a Moray businessman at the recent Moray Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner. The highest bidder will get an advanced copy of the book and a pair of tickets to the launch in January 2012. They will also receive a signed copy of Dark Blood and limited edition Buckie Lifeboat 150th anniversary calendars and books.
Karol Bruce, a fundraiser for Buckie Lifeboat Station said: “We’re extremely grateful to Stuart MacBride for his generous support. This is a unique opportunity to be immortalised in literature, and the perfect last minute gift idea for lovers of the crime genre. More importantly, it’s a great way to support the volunteers of Buckie Lifeboat Station who have been saving lives off the Moray coast for 150 years.”
Lesley Ann Parker, Chief Executive of Moray Chamber of Commerce, said: “We’re delighted to support this exciting initiative from Buckie Lifeboat Station. The Station provides a valuable maritime rescue service, and the many volunteers who selflessly devote their time to the service are true local heroes. We are confident this generous donation from Stuart MacBride will help raise valuable funds for Buckie Lifeboat Station and help showcase the work of a Scottish author who is rightly regarded as one of the finest in his genre.” Further bids can be submitted to Moray Chamber of Commerce until midnight on 31st December.
To place a bid, contact Lesley Ann Parker on info@moraychamber.co.uk or phone 01340 881226.
Tourism Intelligence Scotland’s latest guide, ‘Food and Drink Experience in Scotland’, outlines a host of practical ideas and suggestions which will help you improve your bottom line and could generate an additional £1 more per visitor simply by using quality, fresh, local produce.
The guide will provide you with facts and figures about the market, an understanding of what visitors want from our food, ideas for adding local flavour to menus, tips on sourcing locally and collaborating with Scottish food suppliers and lots more!
Download the guide here: E blast – launch of food guide
The Moray Firth Coast has been voted one of the most breathtaking coasts in the world in a survey by National Geographic Traveller magazine.
A panel at the international magazine made up of 340 experts in sustainable tourism, was asked to rate different locations using criteria such as environmental quality, social and cultural integrity, the condition of historic sites, aesthetic appeal and outlook for the future. “Outstanding cliff scenery” and “a strong community feeling.” impressed the judges and they cited the role of tourism in “helping keep pretty coastal villages afloat.”
The stunning stretch of seafront from Inverness to Peterhead was one of only two UK spots to secure the accolade, with Pembrokeshire in Wales also being credited.
On the day this accolade was announced VisitScotland Chairman, Dr Mike Cantlay was in Moray to discuss tourism opportunities with local representatives. He met with the Moray Tourism Development Group and Moray Task Force to hear their feedback at grassroots level, and discuss opportunities for continued collaboration and growth throughout the region.
The Chairman’s visit comes hot on the heels of VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead’s meeting with local stakeholder groups in Moray alongside representatives from the Scottish Government and others from across the Public Sector in the wake of the announcement to close the RAF Kinloss base and the possibility of the RAF Lossiemouth base closure. Here, Mr Roughead pledged VisitScotland’s ongoing commitment to supporting the Moray economy.
See the article in National Geographic Traveller Magazine here.
Moray Task Force has come together to address the impact on Moray of the UK Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, published in October 2010.
Made up of private business, the public sector and community groups, the task force is campaigning to keep the Tornadoes at RAF Lossiemouth and to support the businesses and communities affected by the cancellation of the Nimrod contract at RAF Kinloss.
This bulletin gives a twice weekly update on the activities of the task force and an indication of some of the events coming up in the community. Download here.
Archiestown Hotel by Aberlour and Trochelhill B&B in Fochabers are the latest Moray businesses to come out shining, each receiving gold star awards under VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance (QA) scheme which recognises exceptional hospitality and service.
The Archiestown Hotel, with its characteristic walled garden, has been the focal point of the historic village of Archieston for over 200 years, and is situated right in the heart of Scotland’s Whisky Trail. Further east, Trochelhill B&B just outside Fochabers, is a large Victorian country house set in expansive mature gardens and enjoys unspoiled views of surrounding Speyside.
The coveted ‘Gold Star’ accolade was launched by VisitScotland to highlight establishments within the QA scheme who have gone the extra mile to exceed customer expectations. Often seen as front line ambassadors for Scotland’s tourism industry, the recipients display genuine enthusiasm for the hospitality they offer. These establishments show a real commitment to service and customer care in everything they do from the welcome and friendliness on arrival, to the quality of the food, and the final farewell.
The gold award winners are selected from those currently participating within VisitScotland’s QA schemes for Hotels, B&Bs, Inns and Restaurants with Rooms, covering a range of star rated properties. Gold awards are discretionary and take into account current QA scores (particularly hospitality and service), QA scoring history, and customer feedback record where appropriate. The awards are limited to a select few establishments and are reviewed each year during an assessment visit.
Text from VisitScotland
Great coverage of Moray Coast in BBC Life ”N” Deadly program, see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vlt29/Live_n_Deadly_Scotland/
Some positive coverage after all the coverage of RAF closure(s) We have to show Moray as an exciting and active tourism destination so let us know of any more press releases, tv coverage that you know of that shows MoraySpeyside as an “open for business” destination.
Latest: Our joint event with Moray College, on 17 November, has been postponed until February 2011 due to the current uncertainty amongst local tourism businesses as a result of the closure of RAF Kinloss and the threatened closure of RAF Lossiemouth. We will let you know the revised date as soon as possible.
Moray Tourism Development in partnership with Moray College
Sponsored by Highland Employer Coalition
are delighted to be hosting
‘Recruiting, Retaining and Developing the Right Staff for your Business’
If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then this is a must attend event for you. We would like you to join us on:-
Wednesday 17th November 10.30am in the Conference Room in Moray College
The event will finish at 12.30pm with a networking lunch and the opportunity to network with a range of partner organisations. For more information please see the information sheet.
The focus of the day will be the Scottish Tourism Framework for Change and more specifically the national Skills Strategy 2010-2015 which has the potential to be applied to great effect in Moray.
Attending will be a panel of prominent speakers from local businesses, education and hospitality bodies.
With the pressures faced by businesses today, this event offers an opportunity to work together, learn from each other and share knowledge which will encourage economic growth within the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Moray.
In addition the event provides an opportunity realise the potential of our area and nurture home grown talent through a combined and focussed vision. Students from Moray College will be assisting in the planning and organisation of the event. They will also be showcasing their skills in food preparation and service with a two course lunch served to you in Moray College’s Beechtree Restaurant.
Please be our guest for the day at Moray College. Please note that there is no charge for this event and as there are a limited number of places, applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, numbers limited to 40.
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