Industry announces new £50k collaboration fund

06/02/2020
L-R Gordon Mcintyre City of Glasgow College, Fiona Richmond Scotland Food And Drink and Ian McColm owner of Bowlarama

EXPERIENCE Glasgow calls for businesses to be brave and undertake collaborative working to help grow the visitor tourism economy. 

Over 60 leaders from top businesses including Mharsanta, Native, Red Bus Bistro and MacIntosh at The Willow came together at the Glasgow Champions event led by the new Experience Glasgow tourism network at Bowlarama yesterday (Wednesday, 5th February).

Supported by Scottish Enterprise and facilitated by Connect THREE the new interactive event had an in conversation with Fiona Richmond; Scotland Food & Drink and Gordon McIntyre; City of Glasgow College which focussed on developing food and drink tourism in the city and how partnership working can deliver increased results. 

Speed networking then paved the way for commercial opportunities with businesses challenging each other on how emerging collaborations could help them create new bookable product. 

A £50k collaboration fund was also announced to help Glasgow industry work together in inspiring ways to develop and deliver an enhanced visitor experience.  Attracting tourists to stay longer, spend more and improve the business bottom line, the fund is now open for applications from independent groups. 

SENSEcity, in collaboration with West Coast Motors and Glasgow School of Art, is the first successful recipient of funds to help pilot an augmented reality and immersive storytelling app which will allow visitors onboard the Glasgow City Sightseeing bus tours to experience Glasgow in a hi-tech way.

Gordon Mcintyre, Vice Chairman of Experience Glasgow, said: 

“Our industry needs to be brave and capitalise on partnership opportunities to drive forward our destination. 

“Through the support of our new Collaboration Fund and our exciting Glasgow Champions events, the industry can collaborate to deliver compelling new products that visitors really want. The fund is a fantastic support for our industry and it will help enable businesses to work together more effectively.”

Ian McColm, owner of Bowlarama and Tiki Bar & Kitsch Inn who attended the Experience Glasgow Champions event explains: 

“It’s great to be part of a network that supports and invests in local experiences. This event has been great to network but also understand the opportunities available at a destination level and how we can work together collaboratively to drive forward Glasgow and our visitor economy.”

‘Experience Glasgow Champions’ 2020 network events have the ambition to enable Glasgow businesses to connect, learn, share and create compelling new products and visitor experiences.

Support is available to members of the network, including product development, market intelligence, digital and communications to help maximise opportunities from working with the travel trade and becoming bookable online.

Experience Glasgow events and Collaboration Fund are both supported by Scottish Enterprise and work towards delivering on the priorities and ambitions of Glasgow’s Tourism and Visitor Plan to 2023. 

The next Experience Glasgow Champions event will take place in May and is open to any business looking to attract more leisure visitors, be more productive and keen to reap the benefits of working with like-minded people to give visitors to the city a brilliant experience.

https://city-sightseeing.com/en/92/glasgow/255/hop-on-hop-off-glasgow

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