Over 400 businesses across Moray are being encouraged to take action on the Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) levy to help boost the local economy and protect jobs.
Visit Moray Speyside, the Destination Marketing Organisation and Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) Company for the Moray and Speyside area, is offering advice and guidance to businesses on how they can play their part in supporting the continued growth of the region over the next five years.
Tourism in Moray Speyside is now worth a record £187m to the local economy and supports more than 2,904 full time equivalent jobs locally, but without continued support and funding contributions from local businesses, Visit Moray Speyside will be unable to provide its much-needed voice for the region.
The Tourism BID is the result of a legally constituted and independently operated ballot of tourism businesses in Moray Speyside. Unlike a tax, the Tourism BID levy for Moray has been designed to encourage local businesses to influence how the money raised is reinvested in the region. All eligible businesses receive regular communication and guidance from Visit Moray Speyside about payment options, how the money raised from the levy is allocated and how they can express their views.
All funds from the levy are devoted to delivering a programme of projects and services that are set out in the Visit Moray Speyside Business Plan with the specific aim of strengthening the region’s tourism industry and supporting businesses.
Gemma Cruickshank, CEO of Visit Moray Speyside, said:
“We’re the only organisation in the world whose sole focus is on raising the profile of this incredible region and positioning Moray Speyside as the world-class destination that we all know it is.
“Without the Moray Speyside Tourism BID, tourism in the region would have no voice, there would be no organisation devoted to supporting and developing tourism in Moray Speyside and crucially fighting and advocating for the region, nobody providing crucial assistance for businesses, and nobody marketing Moray Speyside to the world.”
Gemma added:
“We continue to represent the interests of over 400 tourism businesses spread throughout Moray, including more than a dozen of Speyside’s world-famous distilleries.
“Together with the support and funding contributions of our business members, Visit Moray Speyside has already achieved so much for the region. We still have a lot more we can do to really flourish and strengthen the area as a world class visitor destination, so we’re urging businesses to continue putting their trust in us.”
Visit Moray Speyside is currently preparing for its renewal ballot in March, a move supported by Moray Council, which allows businesses to vote on the proposal to extend its operations for another five years. Should the renewal be successful, Visit Moray Speyside’s membership would increase by about 100 from 366 currently. It would also see a move to charging members a percentage of their rateable value rather than a flat fee dependent on business size.
The organisation also aims to grow local tourism to one million visitors and £200 million of economic impact per year by 2027 – up from the latest figures of 877,000 and £187m respectively.
The Visit Moray Speyside board continues to decide how all levy funds and assets it holds are allocated, whether this is to close the organisation or go towards projects set out in the business plan to achieve BID projects for the region.
For more information on The Moray Speyside Tourism Business Improvement District and the Tourism BID levy, go to https://morayspeyside.com/tourismbid or email [email protected]
