Green tourism, quality assurance and the marketing of the Cairngorms area as a holiday destination are all up for discussion at a tourism conference being held in the Cairngorms National Park next week.
The event at the Lecht Ski Centre on Wednesday 26 October will be the first time tourism operators in the Park have got together since the Cairngorms National Park was awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in
Protected Areas, the first national park in the UK to achieve the prestigious accolade.
Organised by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), everyone involved in tourism in the area is encouraged to attend the conference.
Heather Galbraith, the CNPA’s Sustainable Tourism Officer explained: “It is a great achievement to have been awarded the Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas but now we have to look at how we implement the actions
which are going to ensure that we keep the Charter.
“This conference is an opportunity for everyone involved in tourism to discuss the key issues and influence how we continue to manage tourism in a way that is beneficial to the economy but which does not harm what makes the
Park special.”
As well as looking at sustainable tourism, the conference will be an opportunity for tourism operators to learn more about visitor information, funding and applying to use the Cairngorms brand.
Ruathy Donald, the CNPA’s Tourism Marketing Officer said: “One of our early priorities for tourism marketing in the National Park was the development of a new visual identity for the area.
“People will have already seen the distinctive bird of prey logo on signage and on some of our visitor information but the brand is now available for use by local businesses, communities or tourism groups who can demonstrate
commitment to quality and sustainability. This is an important element of next week’s event, linking in with the discussions on sustainable tourism; however, the conference is also about identifying ways of generally
improving the experience of visitors to the area.”
Representatives from VisitScotland will be joining CNPA tourism staff at the event to discuss the Green Tourism Business Scheme, developments in Quality Assurance and marketing. To attend the conference or for more information please contact Laura Grant on tel: 01479 873535 or email: [email protected].
Click the following links for more information and a conference reply form.