Dalbeattie Community Initiative first in region to sign up to VIP scheme
A DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY community group has become the first social enterprise in the region to sign up to VisitScotland’s Information Partner (VIP) programme.
Dalbeattie Community Initiative is run by a group of local volunteers who manage the
Town’s information point as well as several community projects and local arts and crafts sales. The popular centre which offers information on things to see and do in Dalbeattie and the surrounding area is located in a shop in the town’s High Street and welcomes more than 5,000 visitors and locals through the door every year.
Established in 1997 in response to a number of local business closures, Dalbeattie Community Initiative has now joined an exclusive network of VisitScotland Information Partners (VIPs) by committing to actively promote the local area and services offered by local businesses.
It is the first social enterprise in the region to sign up to the scheme and joins a list of 53* VIP Quality Assured businesses in Dumfries & Galloway.
The new official ‘iKnow Scotland’ accreditation will add value to the service already on offer at the 4 Star visitor attraction and make it easier than ever before for visitors to connect with local businesses.
The VIP programme forms part of VisitScotland’s new focus on information which also includes a new global online community to allow Scots and those who love Scotland to bring alive the streets, characters and landscapes of our country.
It ties in with VisitScotland’s global Spirit of Scotland campaign, harnessing the local knowledge, warmth and enthusiasm of staff at the attractions helping visitors make the most of their trip to Scotland.
VisitScotland Regional Director, Doug Wilson, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dalbeattie Community Initiative to our VIP programme, the first community initiative to sign up to the scheme.
“The new VIP programme will ensure that all tourism providers can be local ambassadors and help provide information, assistance and advice on all there is to see and do here. This follows a growing trend among consumers to use online resources to plan their trips.”
Sharon Carson from the Dalbeattie Community Initiative, said: “We look forward to working with VisitScotland to ensure that visitors to Dumfries & Galloway get access to all the information they need to make the most of their visit.
“We want visitors to Dalbeattie to have a great time not just in the town but as they continue their onward journey through the region. We are proud to display the ‘iKnow’ Scotland accreditation at our centre as recognition of our commitment to providing first-class information about Dumfries & Galloway as a whole.”
The VisitScotland Information Partner programme is open to all Quality Assured businesses, as well as community groups, local authority-operated library services and social enterprises. For more information, visit www.visitscotland.org
To find out more about the VisitScotland online community, visit:
