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SMBC

Many Heads Make Light Work

There are lots of up-coming opportunities for tourism businesses - large and small - to capitalise on the big events of 2014.

Date : 25/02/2014

To make sure that Scotland reaps the full benefits of these events, we need a step-change in joined-up, collective working. Not just this year but into the future.

What types of collaborations are there?

COMMUNITY CO-OPERATIVES

Community co-operatives are organisations set up to provide a service or services to a particular community, and which use co-operative principles to guide their organisation and their activities. Shared ownership enables communities to develop services, such as utilities or shops.

CONSORTIUM CO-OPERATIVES

Consortium co-operatives are established when businesses come together for a shared purpose - to buy or sell in scale, market more effectively, share facilities or jointly bid for contracts. By collaborating businesses can reduce costs, share risks and create new platforms for growth.

Why consider collaboration?

Marketing your area to visitors is just one reason for considering collaboration. There’s a whole host of reasons you might want to work with others. Why not explore collaboration to:

  • share resources you couldn’t afford on your own
  • plug a local gap in the market
  • increase business opportunities
  • capitalise on big events by providing services (e.g. food producers’ stalls at events)
  • increase the chances of winning investment and funding
  • capitalise on skills you don’t have or offer your own for a common goal or larger venture
  • pool resources and funds for costly projects (e.g. cutting carbon emissions)?

COLLECTIVE VOICE

It is becoming increasingly important in rural areas where individuals find it hard to be heard. Collectively people have more clout.

Instead of seeing themselves fighting for competition, local businesses find that working with others in the area enhances what that area has to offer and makes it a more attractive proposition for tourists.

Carron Tobin of the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance says: “When it comes to promoting tourism in remote regions …the danger is that people market their businesses and attractions in competition with one another.”

Tourism sector collaborations

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS), is a dedicated team of experts who are on hand to offer advice and support for anyone looking to set up collaboration projects in Scotland.

They can help you decide if it’s for you, get you started, and help to steer you around the pitfalls of collaborative working. CDS offers an annual collaboration prize worth up to £10,000, last year won by Complete Trade Solutions Ltd, Scottish Mountain Biking Cooperative, and the Wee Agency. Watch the CDS website for details of this year’s entry details.

In the tourism sector consortiums are most often set up to harness opportunities in local areas, like the Scottish Mountain Biking Consortium. The Consortium brought together small businesses involved in mountain biking. It was set up with support from Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS).

Another CDS success story is Destination Stirling, a tourism collaboration focused on making the city a major destination by working together to actively promote all things Stirling.

Where to start

Start investigating how you could explore collaboration. Read our ‘5 Steps to Destination Development’ resource. It focuses on how to collaborate to achieve greater destination attraction for your visitors. There’s no better time to be working with others to achieve your business goals.

Further reading

Find out how Co-operative Development Scotland supports both community co-operatives and consortium co-operatives.

Find out how the Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative Ltd are working together to promote the region. 

The Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG) reports on what’s going on are a great way to keep abreast of what’s happening. Take a look at their Business Opportunity Guides for ideas. ETAG also runs regular workshops on the guides to encourage collaborative approaches and joined up thinking.

Read the full article on the Scottish Mountain Biking Consortium: Central Scotland Bike Tourism Group Launched.

Read our Intelligence Guide on mountain biking. Even if you’re not involved in mountain biking activities you could find food for thought on working with other trades and sectors.