Food and drink producers across Moray and Speyside are being urged to bring their expertise to the table at a summit on the area’s culinary culture.
The Moray Speyside Tourism group will hold a meeting at Moray College in Elgin where delegates will hear about tourist-friendly initiatives and discuss ideas to boost the visitor economy.
Chief Executive of VisitScotland, Malcolm Roughead OBE, will speak at the event on his desire to make the most of the region’s natural larder.
He said: “I am delighted to be speaking at the Moray Speyside Tourism summit and look forward to hearing about the events and projects that are contributing to the growth of tourism in this region.
“Homecoming Scotland 2014 reinforced Scotland’s position on the international stage as a dynamic and creative nation and we hope to continue this success with 2015 –
Scotland’s year of Food and Drink. “This is a celebration of our natural larder and the chance to show not just visitors from international shores, but people all across Scotland, the delicious local produce and regional delicacies we have right here in Moray Speyside.
“With visitors spending almost a fifth of their budget on eating and drinking, promoting food and drink is a recipe for success.
“We need to put tourism at the heart of the economy in Moray Speyside – move it away from just a holiday experience and see the potential this industry has to sell Scotland to the world and benefit every corner of the country.”
Moray Speyside Tourism operations manager Cameron Taylor said: “The summit will provide an opportunity for us to learn and network together before the 2015 season gets under way, places are limited, so businesses should register early to guarantee a place.”
A food and drink festival in Elgin last year attracted over 400 visitors to the town centre.
The event included a demonstration by current Cullen Skink world champion Tracy Fuller, who prepared her award-winning dish using locally landed fish from Lossie Fish Shop.
The summit will take place on Tuesday, March 31, at Moray College’s Alexander Graham Bell centre.
Businesses looking to attend the summit should contact Esme Saville via email at esme@morayspeyside.com.