Licensed WorldHost Trainer Christine Watson shares the gift of WorldHost Business Recognition with businesses in the Mearns of Aberdeenshire

Christine Watson Licensed WorldHost Trainer at Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing, Jo Watson from Visit Scotland and Jacky Niven, Kincardineshire Development Partnership gave presentations at the Our Mearns Tourism Association Launch Event. The local association aims to put the Mearns area on the arts, cultural and heritage tourism map

Christine Watson Licensed WorldHost Trainer at Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing, Jo Watson from Visit Scotland and Jacky Niven, Kincardineshire Development Partnership gave presentations at the Our Mearns Tourism Association Launch Event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An event held last weekend at Balmekewan saw the launch of the Our Mearns Tourism Association, which aims to make the Mearns an arts, cultural and heritage tourism destination.

The Our Mearns initiative was established last year in response to information and knowledge gathered by the Kincardineshire Development Partnership (KDP).

KDP Development Officer Jacky Niven explained: “There are lots of people working hard in the Mearns area in isolation. Our aim is that if we come together as a bigger brand then we can start to market the Mearns, and it might encourage people to stay longer too.” In addition, as an area affected by the current economic climate there is a need to raise the profile of this part of Aberdeenshire and capitalise on its other assets.

Jacky added: “A project group has been working on the best way to support this area which is already rich in natural resources, community organised events and festivals, heritage and history. The way forward has been identified through forming a tourism association.” Around 40 people representing local businesses and the wider community turned out to the launch event on Saturday, and 20 people have signed up to the association so far.

Chartered Marketer and Licensed WorldHost Trainer and Facilitator attended the launch event to share her knowledge and experience of the WorldHost Recognition Programme for businesses and destinations.

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire have committed to achieving WorldHost Destination status along with 11 other regions in Scotland. Christine shared her work with businesses alongside Tourism Officer: Maeve Curran at Titanic Foundation Ltd in the Titanic Quarter area of Belfast which seen Titanic Quarter become recognised as a WorldHost Hotspot destination recognised for excellence in customer service. The 2 day training delivered by Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing to micro, small and large businesses across the destination including Titanic Tours, W5, Pizza Hut, Odyssey Bowl, The Odyssey Arena (now The SSE Arena), The Dock Cafe, Mace, Titanic Dock and Pumphouse, Pumphouse Cafe, NI Science Park (now Catalyst), T13 and Cable and Wake had the added benefit of bringing service professionals across these businesses together for a common aim. Other Northern Ireland destinations WorldHost accredited for excellence in customer service include Bellaghy (home of the brand new Seamus Heaney centre), Gortin, Glenarm, Belleek.  In Scotland: Caithness and St Stephen Street in Edinburgh have achieved accreditation. Visit Scotland aim to have 4 cities, over 70 towns & 2 sets of islands across 12 regions in Scotland – a total of 1,500 businesses WorldHost recognised. Christine introduced the opportunity of WorldHost hotspot and village status to areas across the Mearns and cited the marketing, PR, knowledge growth and collaboration benefits of working together to collectively achieving such a common goal.

Anyone else who may be interested in joining the Mearns Tourism Association or helping to form the committee, which will cover the area south of Stonehaven from Fettercairn to St Cyrus, can contact Jacky Niven by email at jniven@kincardineshiredp.org or phone (01569) 763246.

Read all about it in the local Aberdeenshire newspapers at: http://www.mearnsleader.co.uk/news/welcome-to-our-world-1-4299462