Cromlix House Select Bookassist

Prestigious Stirlingshire country house hotel Cromlix House have gone live with Bookassist as their new online reservations engine.
James Kennedy of Bookassist Scotland was delighted to see the hotel live on the system, "We've been working with Cromlix for some time now ensuring that we get everything just right and recently have been managing their Google Adwords campaign with them. The installation of Bookassist is great news and combined with their proactive strategies we're sure that the hotel will see results very quickly."

In addition to taking reservations the system now allows Cromlix to manage their own guest reviews and even monitor the Bookassist reservations through their Google Analytics account.
The hotel can also take advantage of a host of new functions added in the most recent upgrade of Bookassist including a new loyalty scheme and online corporate account management.

James Kennedy continued, "The integration of the system has been seemless with the hotel's website developers embedding the CSS code in easily and ensuring that the site looks as good as ever. Only difference is that Cromlix House are now able to sell their rooms and packages with multiple languages, multiple currencies and an ease of control that is hard to match."

Moray Tourism Receive Cash Boost to Implement Vision

Interesting press release from Highlands and Islands Enterprise advising that Moray Tourism Development Group's plans to take forward a unique vision for the area are being supported with a two year £120,000 cash injection from HIE and Moray Council.

The funding will give the group the resources to work towards their vision to see Moray - internationally renowned as the "home of malt whisky " combining a rich, traditional heritage with modernity and innovation to deliver unique, high value, lifestyle experiences in a destination with a strong sense of place.

The Moray Tourism Development Group is a steering group bringing together the private sector, HIE (Moray), Moray Council, Visit Scotland and Historic Scotland.

Interim chair Jim Royan commented: "We feel very lucky to be able to draw on the experience of the private sector and to have been given this funding support from the public sector to allow us to take practical steps to make this vision a reality for Moray."

Steven Hutcheon of HIE is delighted that the enterprise agency has been able to help put a mechanism in place to assist Moray in its efforts to increase visitor numbers.

"The Tourism Development Group identified that by all coming together they could develop project ideas and seek out sources of funding. It is a vital next step in creating what we hope will be a sustainable force which will benefit the tourism sector in Moray, said Steven. "Moray has so much to offer visitors; our unique place as the home of whisky, the opportunities in outdoor activities including fishing, golf, walking and cycling, our scenery and wildlife and access to the Cairngorms National Park. There must be few destinations in the world with such a strong range of globally renowned brands all sharing the same values, landscape, geography, heritage, environment and all deeply rooted in the community. The development of this group which has taken on the role of tourism ambassador, and promoting and developing the region will add huge value in putting Moray firmly on the tourist map."

Marion Walker, of Marion Walker Marketing, will be working in partnership with Rene Looper, of Tuminds, supporting the Moray Tourism Development Group by driving change and leading the industry in realising their vision. This will be achieved through the delivery of realistic and achievable plans for the management, development and growth of tourism.

The rest of the industry in Scotland will be curious to see the outcomes of the group and how they will differ in implementation from all of the regional groups that have come and gone before them.

It sounds like a DMO but there is conspicuously no mention of the terms destination management organisation in there. If the group can indeed achieve the partnership that tourism and hospitality requires without the constraints sround the current crop of DMO's then it will have the opportunity to succeed.

We can be certain that with Rene onboard we'll be kept informed!

Rural Estates Say You're Welcome

A new initiative called "You're Welcome" has been launched at Scone Palace in Perthshire.
The campaign highlights the activities and events which take place all year round on estates. They include an outdoor Runrig concert, vintage car rallies, clan tours, falconry displays, an orchid festival, Victorian crafts and even Tai Chi.
Luke Borwick, owner of Blair Estate in Ayrshire, said: "For tourist visitors, or for those who live nearby, Scotland's farms and estates offer an array of opportunities for fun days out, concerts, activities and events. It might come as a surprise to some, but many of our members see tourism and entertainment as vital parts of their businesses, offering a fantastic range of opportunities."
Viscount Stormont, from Mansfield Estate, Scone, said: "Scotland's estates are open to everyone and we have an exciting programme of events for all the family planned at Scone. "I am very pleased to be able to take part in the launch of You're Welcome, which I hope will lead to many more visitors to Scone and other rural attractions throughout Scotland."

Albert Roux in the Mix in Nairn

At the recent Book and Arts Festival held in Nairn, Albert Roux the world renowned chef was invited as a guest speaker.
Monsieur Roux's connection in the Highlands is currently through his involvement with The Roc Pool Reserve in Inverness where his restaurant and innovative Roux Express Luncheon is deserving popular aclaim.
However, Rosemary Young owner of Inveran Lodge in Nairn, pictured with Albert and Jean Campbell, Festival Oganiser, found whilst researching Albert that he had become fascinated with the Highlands from the age of 26 whilst holidaying in the area. This love remains and he hopes to bring simple but well cooked French cuisine to the Highlands for the enjoyment of all.
His talk covered his life from boyhood to present day and kept the audience spellbound for over an hour. He was willing to answer many questions and proved to be one of the highlights of the festival.

St Andrews Iconic Building on the Market

According to press reports this morning, Hamilton Hall, the iconic building that has provided the backdrop to some of golf's greatest moments has been put up for sale after a developer, who paid £20m for it five years ago, withdrew plans to turn it into luxury timeshare apartments. Empty and decaying, the building was once the town's Grand Hotel, before it was bought by the university in the 1950s.
Spokesman Alan Creevy said: "It is hard to imagine a more iconic building which will be known by all in the world of golf as the backdrop to the many eventful Open finals which have taken place at St Andrews over the years. "Properties such as Hamilton Hall almost never come on the open market and we are delighted to handle such a prestige instruction. The property has planning and listed building consent for 25 luxury apartments, which were originally intended for fractional ownership.

Now for all of those interested in a weekend home you can get details from the following.

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and Jones Lang LaSalle are marketing Hamilton Hall on the worldwide stage by a cross-functional team of experts. The firm is commencing an international search for qualified investors through a personalized marketing strategy designed to reach likely buyers in global markets. For more information on this offering, reach Arthur.Adler@am.jll.com in New York, Alan.Creevy@eu.jll.com in Scotland, Mike Batchelor@ap.jll.com in Singapore, or Jalil.Mekouar@eu.jll.com in Dubai.

IronyAir?

Ironyair?

Look; love the business model and the functionality and even used to like the prices but have never quite understood Michael O'Leary's press releases. Well that's not true - the adage of no publicity being bad publicity has been adopted and made into an art form by the Irish entrepreneur.

Now if you reread all of his old stuff attacking the dominant airlines of the day you wonder where his principles went. The attacks he made on BA and BAA in the distant past were often justified and the role he played in opening up regional air travel cannot and shouldn't be overlooked but hey doesn't he make wonderfully selective usage of the facts when he releases another barrel at his selected target which earlier this week was - The Irish Government!

He said, “The Irish Government’s €10 tourist tax is “tourism suicide” which is devastating visitor numbers and jobs. Price sensitive visitors are switching to lower cost destinations in Europe where governments welcome tourists, not tax them.

“Ryanair will remove one aircraft from both Dublin and Shannon this winter and further cuts can be expected in the coming months if the €10 tourist tax is not scrapped. If the tourist tax is scrapped these cuts, and the tourism collapse, will be reversed. This tourist tax will raise just €125 million per annum and for this tiny tax revenue the Irish government will lose over 2,500 jobs and more than €750 million in tourism spend, the VAT receipts on which would exceed €150 million”.

Now we can't question his bravado and even his logic but the narrowness of the argument is ironic! Anyone who has tried to book a an Ironyair flights these days recognises that probably the cheapest element of the whole process is the Irish Government's €10 tax!

On the booking page for my return flights to Dublin the cost was £68.85 of which £7.00 was Irish leg taxes. On confimring my one piece of luggage, rejecting priority boarding and SMS text updates, I then had two web check ins of £10 each way and a further two charges of £5 each way for paying by Maestro (this confused me even further one reservation, one payment, two charges....hmmm).
So now my flight was all the way up from the titel price of £17 to a final total of £98.85. The Tax charge from the Irish Government being £7 of this total.

So really if we're looking at it from the outside yes, the Government Tax is damaging a price sensitive product and how it impacts on the end buyer is certainly up for debate. Whether it contributes to the current problems with inbound tourism to ireland is quite another.

I personally enjoyed flying Ryanair and still do when no other option arises. The difference I have now like many other thousands I'd guess is that when that other option is available I now jump at it. The charging by Ryanair for "extras" has gone beyond the laudable principle of charging customers for what they actually use to one of loading the profitability into what the consumer sees as unfair charges. This is Ryanair's option, it is Mr O'Leary's strategy but for such a brilliant product it seems so unnecessary to have taken the route of complete confrontation. There must have been another way.

Anyway, we ain't going to change Ryanair's pricing strategy or public pronouncements but at least we can enjoy the wonderful irony.

A Tangled Web?

Are we getting carried away with the need for anniversaries and their importance. We wrote a couple of weeks ago that the basic tenet of Homecoming was a good one but not one that should be lost as a single year concept.

The marking of heritage and anniversaries has always had merit but really should we be letting some of our MSP's near the planning process?

Here's the point in question....

A proposal has been put forward to designate 2011 as The Year of Sir Walter Scott. A great idea you may think; wonderful Scot, world reknowned literary genius with titles such as Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.
So what is the venerable MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale MSP Jeremy Purvis suggesting we mark?

He is suggesting (in all seriousness) that 2011 should will mark the 200th anniversary of him starting to build his Borders home, Abbotsford House.

That's it 2011 will be The Year of the Homebuilding.

He has been quoted as saying that, "Without Scott there would not be the tourism sector we have today. Before Scott tourism was the pastime for the landed super rich on grand tours. However, with Scott came unprecedented mass tourism, a genuine Scottish invention."

I think appreciating Scott's works, Burns' birth even the 150th anniversary of The Open Championship (1860 - 2010) is laudable but really the starting of building a home?

Dear Mr Purvis, contrived events often fail to work for the very reason that they are contrived. Let's celebrate and commemorate and promote and be proud of the history and heritage but let's do so in a manner that is realistic and genuinely means something and not simply try to pull a quick one - or as Walter may have put it...

"Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive!"

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