This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Tayside business gets top marks in tourism
03/08/2005
A Tayside business has upped its star rating as part of
a pilot scheme to improve the quality of service provided
in hotels and visitor attractions across Scotland.
The Taychreggan Hotel in Broughty Ferry has seen a
marked improvement in service, moving from a two star to a
three star hotel, after taking part in the Demonstrator
project funded jointly by VisitScotland and the enterprise
companies.
Over 88 per cent of the business taking part in the
project, which promotes investment in staff training and
skills, have seen dramatic improvements.
Presenting the three-star award to the Taychreggan,
Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson said:
"Tourism is a vital industry for the economy of
Scotland, generating more than £4.5 billion each year.
"What this project has demonstrated is that training
yields real benefits for tourism businesses - words often
said - but not so often put into practice.
"By ensuring that visitors receive a consistently high
quality experience during every part of their stay, they
will not only return again but may also become ambassadors
for Scotland, encouraging others to holiday here.
"I would like to congratulate the Taychreggan on helping
to make Scotland a must visit must return tourist
destination.
"I also delighted to hear that support will be extended
to support willing participants over the next two years by
providing additional mystery visits and feedback."
The programme is funded jointly by VisitScotland,
Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish
Enterprise:
Eddie Brogan, Head of Tourism at Scottish Enterprise,
said:
"The outcomes from this project demonstrate that
investment in skills does lead to improvements in the
customer experience and, in turn, significant benefits for
businesses.
"The project also shows the value of businesses 'having
something to aim at' in improving business performance.
"In this case it was higher Quality Assurance scores but
it could also be higher satisfaction ratings, levels of
repeat business, sales per head or even lower staff
turnover."
Willie Macleod, VisitScotland's director of visitor
services and quality, said:
"For our industry to achieve its ambition of 50 per cent
revenue growth over the next decade, it's essential we
continually work together to raise our game in everything
we offer visitors.
"To do this, we must promote a focused and sustained
commitment to skills and training across Scottish tourism,
which will ensure staff are motivated and able to deliver
the level of quality service that encourages visitors to
come back to Scotlamd, time and time again."
Audrey Maclennan, senior development manager with
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said:
"Tourism continues to be one of Scotland's most
important industries, especially in the Highlands and
Islands.
"Quality of service and hospitality can often make the
difference between deciding whether to return to a
particular place, so the more we in the public agencies can
do to help the industry continually improve its standards
the better.
"This has been a very valuable pilot programme which
clearly demonstrates the benefits which tourism businesses
can gain from investing in skills."