Seafood Scotland and VisitScotland have joined forces to launch a six-week mentoring programme aimed at cultivating the growth of seafood tourism across the country.
The partnership will provide businesses with skills and knowhow from both organisations to help companies create food tourism experiences, offer opportunities to taste Scottish seafood and attract visitors from across the UK and internationally.
The series of webinars is part of the Beyond the Boat initiative launched by Seafood Scotland earlier this year and will consist of six weeks of sessions, alongside mentoring from experts, creating a springboard to help seafood entrepreneurs diversify into tourism.
“We are hoping to build on some of the successes of the challenging last couple of years where businesses have pivoted and benefited from people holidaying closer to home,” Karen Galloway, Head of Industry Engagement for Seafood Scotland, said.
“Along with VisitScotland, we hope to be able to inform, inspire and engage businesses to expand their offering and really showcase the fantastic industry we have here as well as building a community of seafood tourism offerings around the country.”
Vicki Miller, Director of Marketing and Digital at VisitScotland, added: “Scotland’s reputation for seafood, as part of its world-renowned natural larder, means there are fantastic opportunities for businesses to tell their stories to help to attract locals and visitors.
“Loch Fyne Oysters and The Tobermory Fish Company are great examples of businesses which not only offer quality visitor experiences but do so whilst telling their own story. By working in partnership with Seafood Scotland we can strength Scotland’s tourism offering in the seafood sector while in turn supporting local businesses and communities.”
Launched in January this year, the Beyond the Boat innovation programme is aimed at stimulating seafood initiatives and spreading risk for businesses by diversifying into new and emerging sectors.
The programme is provided to businesses free of charge and it is hoped those taking part will provide real-life examples of businesses embarking on a seafood tourism journey for the wider seafood community in Scotland.
