Seafood tourism
Wish you were here Attracting holidaymakers could provide an economic boost to the seafood sector, and help to get its message across to the public BY FIONA NICOLSON
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COTLAND’S “blue” economy could be at the beginning of a new era, as the pandemic recedes and seafood businesses are looking at how they can grow, innovate – or start something new. And seafood tourism could be the ideal vehicle for marke�ng their produce. To give them a hand, Seafood Scotland recently launched “Beyond the Boat”, a pilot campaign aimed at kick-star�ng new seafood-tourism ini�a�ves. It asked the Sco�sh seafood community to propose ideas for ini�a�ves that would provide an innova�ve visitor experience, tell their story and increase revenue, in return offering tailored advice and guidance to help selected applicants transform their ideas into ac�on. The appe�te is there, as Karen Galloway, head of retail at Seafood Scotland reports: “We were an�cipa�ng around half a dozen responses, but we received more than 30 – from all over the country. The ideas range from those at the very early stages through to some ini�a�ves that have been underway for a few years, which people now want to grow.” The seafood tourism ideas submi�ed included, to name a few: crea�ng community seafood fes�vals; fish-smoking demonstra�ons; and “catching, cooking and ea�ng” experiences for visitors – like going out to sea with the fishermen, hauling the creels, catching the fish, bringing it back and cooking it. The number of entries has resulted in a slight rethink, though, as Galloway
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explains: “We were going to take four businesses through the pilot scheme but due to demand we are looking at how we can provide support for as many businesses that need it.” Seafood Scotland is now cura�ng a three-month mentoring programme for this purpose. While seafood-tourism ini�a�ves are already underway in Scotland (such as the Stranraer Oyster Fes�val, which drew 17,000 people in 2019),
This page from top: Serious shucking at the Stranraer Oyster Fes�val; Visitors at the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre; harbour at the Centre (photos: Norsk Havbrukssenter); Karen Galloway; souvenirs at the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre Opposite from top: Beyond the Boat - Fisher in the west of Scotland; Norwegian Aquaculture Centre (photo: Norsk Havbrukssenter); Hamish Macdonell; Glen Garioch dis�llery visitor centre.
www.fishfarmermagazine.com
11/04/2022 14:53:12
