TOURISM businesses in the Cairngorms National Park are being invited to a conference where they will learn about and enjoy the best of the area’s produce.

The Cairngorms Tourism Conference 2007 is taking place at Boat of Garten Community Hall on Wednesday November 7th from 10am-4pm. The event is open to all tourism businesses in the Park and is an opportunity for them to learn more about the range of produce in the Park – from whisky and venison to arts and crafts.

There will be a series of workshops and demonstrations from industry experts, such as Food Tourism Scotland and Diageo, as well as by local interest groups and businesses including the Cairngorms Farmers Market Association, Creative Cairngorms, Cairngorm Brewery and Aviemore and Cairngorms and Royal Deeside and Cairngorms Destination Management Organisations. Amongst the workshops will be whisky tasting and a venison cooking class.

There will also be an opportunity to learn about a new national initiative, Climate Change Scotland, which will encourage visitors and businesses to consider their environmental impact.

The conference is being organised by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and the Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce and it is helping to meet one of the Priorities for Action in the National Park Plan – a document which sets out the Park’s short and long term future – making tourism and business more sustainable.

Heather Galbraith, the CNPA’s Sustainable Tourism Officer, said: “There is a wealth of local produce in the Park and the conference will allow people who work in tourism to learn more about it. Hopefully it will mean they will be able to share that with their visitors and customers.

“The conference is always a popular event as it allows the tourism sector to come together to learn from each other as well as look at ways of enhancing the visitor’s enjoyment and experience of the Park.

“I would really encourage people to take part again this year.”

To book a place call 01479 780539 or email [email protected]