Scottish groups combine for top sustainable tourism event

Tom Brock

Stronger Partnerships For A Sustainable Tourism Future will involve Public, private, voluntary and community sector professionals

Sustainable Tourism: Community Involvement and Staff Development Event will focus on the community involvement and staff development implications of taking a sustainable approach to tourism development. 

Say the organizers: “From policymakers to crofters, community professionals to tourist operators, academic researchers to the news media; all have a vital interest in the current activities, issues, threats and opportunities within the Sustainable Tourism Industry. “

Sustainable Tourism: Community Involvement and Staff Development will feature successful community-led case-studies and boasts a range of influential and intriguing speakers.

The event has been organized by UNITAR, CIFAL Findhorn, UHI Centre for Rural Studies, VisitScotland, CNPA and HIE and will feature successful community lead case-studies and boast a range of influential and intriguing speakers.

It will provide a forum for effective information and intelligence exchange across sustainable tourism providers and showcase sustainable tourism projects with a view of developing strategies for future initiatives.

Speakers will include:

• Tom Brock OBE who has led from the front, Scotland’s efforts to develop a green tourism economy.
• Dr Andreas Walmsley, until recently an associate and reader at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, and an expert on how businesses communicate sustainable tourism priorities to their frontline staff.
• James Turner, main force behind Hidden Britain, specialised in grass roots community-led tourism bringing to life the aspirations of over 30 rural communities and destinations.
• Myles Farnbank, Director of Training at Wilderness Scotland, an example of small tourism business demonstrating how community connection and environmental responsibility lie at the very heart of successful business growth.

The seminar will bring together public, private, voluntary and community sector professionals to identify the training and development needs of these groups and agree steps towards meeting these needs. Attendees will be given an opportunity to:

• Enhance business, agency and voluntary sector awareness of the importance of training and staff development in the sustainable development of tourism
• Exchange effective information and intelligence across sustainable tourism providers and understand the legislative frameworks that we need to work within.
• Showcase sustainable tourism projects led by communities and develop further strategies for future initiatives and networking.
• Identify the challenges faced by communities interested in the sustainable development of tourism in their area.
• Investigate gaps in training and development, generate ideas and promote innovative solutions to the professionalization of sustainable tourism.
• Celebrate the rich potential of sustainable tourism in Scotland and promote a positive sustainable tourism message to all key stakeholders in Scotland.

Further information: CLICK HERE

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Special Offers HERE