Marine tourism event to be hosted in North Ayrshire
A major tourism event is returning to North Ayrshire to see how this important sector can be maximised across the region and beyond.
Organised by Sail Scotland, North Ayrshire Council is proud again to be supporting the Scotland Marine Tourism conference which takes place at Waterside Hotel in West Kilbride on Wednesday, March 5.
The event was held at the same venue last year and proved an overwhelming success.
It is again part of the national Scottish Tourism Month Programme, which takes place in March to bring the sector together to shine a light on the amazing opportunities we have here in Scotland.
The conference will focus on the marine tourism sector and is a unique opportunity for the whole industry, not just Sail Scotland members, to come together, learn, and network.
Speakers on the day include:
Marc Crothall MBE, CEO of the Scottish Tourism Alliance
David Adams-McGilp – Regional Director of VisitScotland
Joshua Ryan-Saha - Director of Traveltech for Scotland
Glenn Porter – Principal Skipper of Taeping
Councillor Tony Gurney of North Ayrshire Council
Daniel Steel – CEO of Sail Scotland
Robin Bromley-Martin from Visit Isle of Man
Finlo Cottier, CEO of RYA Scotland
Lizzy Todd - CEO and Founder of Tweetiepie Media
Scott Maclean - Managing Director of Green Tourism
And more to be announced……
Quote: Last year was a really great event and it was interesting to learn so much about this sector and how different stakeholders support it. We are excited that it is returning to North Ayrshire this year. Tourism is hugely significant sector here in North Ayrshire. Each year, we welcome approximately 1.4m visitors to North Ayrshire with the tourism and visitor economy supporting 3400 jobs. Marine tourism is a big part of that and we are always looking to maximise the potential of our coastlines. Meeting and networking with prominent stakeholders will help us develop ideas as we move forward to develop the Ayrshire Growth Deal Marine Tourism Programme and exciting marine projects at Cumbrae and Arran.”
Quote from: Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy
The event will focus on the strategic importance of marine tourism and sustainable and responsible consumer behaviour, and the importance of continued investment in marketing, infrastructure and product development.
The organisers are still finalising and adding to the programme, but with limited tickets, and with the event having sold out in the past, they are advising booking early to come along to join the debate and hear from the line-up of expert speakers.
Tickets are available from eventbrite website
Published: 27 February 2025