A major event designed to make Scotland a global food destination is being held in Oban.
Food and drink producers are teaming up with tourism businesses for the Taste for Tourism conference, designed to develop and brand Scotland as a food destination.
The event, with the tagline, “Has Scotland got what it takes to be a global food tourism destination?”, will take place from November 3-5.
The Taste for Tourism campaign aims to catapult Scotland to the top of the wish list for tourists who see high quality food and drink as a rich cultural experience and the main reason to travel.
The summit will be hands on and support the Scottish Government’s Year of Food and Drink celebrations. The event is being organised by Food from Argyll, Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, with support from a number of partners.
The main conference takes place in Oban on November 4, with behind the scenes flavour tours on November 3, and an optional trip to Mull on November 5.
The event will feature top international speakers with experience of building food destinations, question and answer sessions and the opportunity to network and taste some of Scotland’s wonderful food and drink. It is expected that 150 delegates will attend.
Amongst the international speakers is Rebecca LeHeup, executive director of Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA), a not-for-profit organisation connecting people across agriculture and tourism industries.
Calum Ross, director of Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative Ltd, said: “Food and drink already accounts for one in every five pounds spent by visitors to Scotland, and that could be even higher if hotels, tour operators and other tourism stakeholders work together with producers to highlight the wealth of excellent food and drink that is on offer and to share our wonderful traditions. By building Scotland’s reputation as a food destination, we can also enhance the value of an already thriving food sector.”