And now they are to spell out how all business sectors can help them raise the standard and ensure tourists come back time and time again.

The Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership will unveil a three-year strategy, set up with a £200,000 funding package, at a launch next Tuesday.

An open invitation is being extended to anyone interested in learning how the partnership intends to improve service provision for visitors.

Part of that, said vice-chairman Roger Goodyear, is to move away from the idea that only hotels and visitor centres have something to offer tourists.

He said: "The Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership has a number of jobs to do, and one of the most important is to raise the standard of visitor experience.

"But I think that, equally, we have got to get everyone to understand that, if you live in Banffshire, you too can benefit the tourism experience.

"Everyone plays a part in tourism; there is nobody who does not have an effect or some involvement in the experience a visitor takes from Banffshire."

Portsoy Motors, he said, was just one of the firms locally to come to that conclusion. It has recently joined the partnership on the basis that it provides a service – the sale of fuel – to visitors.

Mr Goodyear said there was a shortage of hotel rooms along the Banffshire coast: statistics gathered at the Portsoy Scottish Traditional Boat Festival this year pointed toward a huge number of people camping or staying in caravans for the duration of the event.

The national average for campers and caravanners is 9%, but at this year's festival 65% of people who required accommodation went for that option.

Although many people who attend festivals prefer to camp out, said Mr Goodyear, the figure was still way in excess of what would normally be expected.

"Part of that may be down to the shortage of hotel rooms," he said.

"And what we want people to understand is that the butchers, bakers and shops that provided supplies to those people who camped or stayed in a caravan all have a part to play in the visitor experience."

The partnership will appoint a tourism development manager and a project support officer for the duration of the plan, which is called Making Effective Tourism the Reality 2009-2012.

The funding package has been awarded by Scottish Enterprise, rural development fund LEADER and Aberdeenshire Council.

Mr Goodyear said it was a case of "the more the merrier" at the strategy launch night, which takes place in Duff House in Banff on October 27 at 7pm.

However, in order to ensure the capacity is not exceeded at the property, anyone who would like to attend is asked to register in advance with Lynn Pitt on 01261 842468.

l.carter@banffshire-journal.co.uk

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---