Argyll & the Isles industry update

David Adams McGilp, Regional Director

 Welcome to our latest regional update of the year where we look back at our key activity for the first quarter of 2023 between January and March. The Easter period provided our industry a much-needed boost, with a full events calendar and welcoming back international visitors.

Businesses and consumers are being buffeted by tough financial circumstances that are impacting both personal and professional wealth. We're focused on building on the shoots of recovery in tourism and events, one of Scotland’s most valuable industries. Our marketing, funding and business support activities are all designed to ensure a quality experience for visitors.

The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland, hosting the world’s biggest cycling event, will provide an exciting opportunity to grow cycling tourism all over Scotland, including Argyll & Isles, where we already have a very strong offering.   

As the days continue to lengthen and visitors start to become a visible part of our communities, I want to remind those in tourism and events of how far we have come, what we have achieved over these difficult few years and what opportunities lie ahead as tourism continues to be a force for good for our region.  

Here’s a roundup of some of our activity in Argyll & Isles in recent months.

#PowerOfTheBike

To help industry prepare for the upcoming UCI Cycling World Championships 2023, we created an industry guide which is full of information and resources to help businesses get up to speed on all-things cycling.  

This will be the single biggest cycling event in history, bringing together for the first time 13 existing UCI World Championships into one mega-event. We're encouraging our partners, and tourism businesses across Scotland, to help promote the event as well as celebrate the #PowerOfTheBike.

Hello from our iCentres

It's been a busy few months in the iCentres in Argyll preparing for the next busy season. Recruitment is well under way and we've been welcoming new members to all our teams.

We're looking forward to working with some new ticketing providers in the Argyll area in particular Oban Sea Tours and Tobermory Bay Tours.

If you're heading over to Mull you might see a difference in Craignure iCentre which has had an external branding refresh and some new signage. We think it looks great!

Opening hours update

New opening hours for our iCentres in Bowmore, Craignure, Rothesay and Oban, will now open from 9:30am to 5.00pm, seven days a week.

As always, pop in and say hello to our iCentre teams – they'd all love to hear from you.

New signage at our Craignure iCentre. 

Argyll & the Isles celebrates Scottish Thistle Award winners

A huge congratulations to Calum Ross, Managing Director and Proprietor of the Loch Melfort Hotel, who received the prestigious Silver Thistle Award. This award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to tourism over many years.

Also, special mention to Coll Hotel, Isle of Coll, awarded special commendations for Best Hotel Experience (Under 20 Rooms) at the National Finals in February this year.

The Scottish Thistle Awards National Final is the highest accolade in the Scottish hospitality, tourism, and events sector.

Pictured: Tourism Minister Ivan McKee, Calum Ross (Silver Thistle Award winner) and VisitScotland Chair Lord Thurso. Credit Chris Watt.