100k welcomes launched in Moray

A leadership programme designed to help tourism and hospitality businesses achieve the highest standard of customer care was launched in Moray this week.

100k Welcomes is a new approach to tourism training which is being launched across the Highlands and Islands.  Fifteen delegates from local businesses such as distilleries, hotels, activity providers and local attractions took part in the training courses at the Elgin Museum on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development, Glasgow Caledonian University has developed the training programme on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise.  As a key element of the Scottish Executive's Tourism Framework for Change which was launched earlier this year, it aims to help achieve 50 per cent growth in tourism revenue by 2015.

The programme has been two years in the making, involving considerable industry consultation to ensure it responded to the demands of the modern day tourism market.  The new training initiative is building on the tourism training of the past decade - Scotland's Best Service and Welcome Host, which benefited more than 90,000 employees and managers to date.

Professor John Lennon from The Moffat Centre said:  "100k Welcomes is specifically designed to help businesses achieve that growth - and more.  We also offer inspiration to people working in the front line.  Jobs facing the customer can be demanding yet incredibly rewarding.  We want everyone in Scotland to realise what an important industry tourism is and that it offers almost limitless career opportunities.  A 100k Welcome training event is just the start."

Delivered by accredited trainers, 100k Welcomes consists of three courses.  These are:  Tourism Leadership - for owners, managers, supervisors and those with responsibility for recruiting, training and developing staff; Tourism Operators - for front-line staff and Tourism Stars - for 'stars' of the front line and/or managers of the future.

100k Welcomes training courses are taking place at venues across the Highlands and Islands.  They can even be arranged to be delivered at the workplace. 

Derek Bedford, chair of HIE Moray said:  "HIE Moray is committed to supporting ways in which our tourism and hospitality businesses can be encouraged to deliver excellent customer service.  The 100K welcomes programme is a fantastic tool to help businesses achieve just that."

100k Welcomes is being delivered in Moray by trainers 'One Amazing Day'. 

An evening reception was held on Tuesday night with the HIE Moray chairman Derek Bedford and a presentation from Professor John Lennon.  Also on hand to answer any questions were representatives from Springboard Scotland, an organisation that promotes the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries, and  Hospitality Assured who offer an in depth diagnostic and business improvement programme for hospitality businesses.