The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), which represents the interests of the key visitor attractions sector in Scotland, held its annual two-day Autumn conference in November.

The theme of the conference was 'Responding to Change'.  An exciting range of speakers lined up to highlight 'best practice' case studies and encourage the businesses present to respond positively to the rapidly changing business environment.

The conference was opened by Jim Mather, the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, who made a keynote speech outlining the Scottish Government’s vision for the tourism industry in Scotland.

Over the course of the two-day conference, speakers made presentations which drew on their experience and expertise in a number of diverse subject areas, all in the context of change.

One of the major changes which continues to evolve and grow is that of visitors’ attitude to the environment. The Centre for Alternative Technology welcomes over 70,000 visitors a year who come to find out more about sustainable living. Paul Allen from CAT shared his considerable knowledge on sustainability along with his views on what the future holds.

Paul Jennings, Chair of ASVA said, ‘With the business environment changing at such a rapid pace, this year’s conference theme (was) more apt than ever. It is vital that visitor attractions, as key stakeholders in Scotland’s tourism industry, seek to learn from others and adapt their own working practices to take account of changing visitor expectations…’

Further information: Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA)

Source: www.visitscotland.org