1. Visit Inverness Loch Ness
Friday, December 01, 2017

2. Q1: Marketing and Promotion - VILN will continue to improve www
Q1: Marketing and Promotion - VILN will continue to improve and our social media presence.  But, what level of importance do you feel the following initiatives would have on improving the visitor experience?

3. Web site Vimeo shoots of the area and things to do
Q2: Please suggest any other marketing and promotion initiative(s) you feel could further improve the visitor experience of the area.
A "Highlands card" to cover several days of travel and visitor attractions, e.g. transport, boat trip, castles etc
Collaboration between visitor attractions, accommodation and tour operators
TV campaign
Offering complimentary stays to journalists promising print coverage in newspapers and magazines and online. 
Web site Vimeo shoots of the area and things to do
Get a celebrity endorsement

4. Q3: Access & Infrastructure - VILN will continue to develop the South Loch Ness Trail linking it up with the Great Glen Way and other associated trails. But, what level of importance do you feel the following initiatives would have on improving access and infrastructure of the area?

5. Bus day pass around the area
Q4: Please suggest any other access and infrastructure initiative(s) you think VILN could deliver together with the public sector.
Better interpretation, Better Loch Access - only one point of direct access on the North side
Improving the piers on Loch Ness and encouraging cross Loch ferry transport
Bus day pass around the area
More parking places where viewing of the scenery is exceptional
More public toilets for the visitors
More things to do and to see in city centre

6. Q5: Events and Festivals - VILN will continue to support sustainable events and festivals such as the Loch Ness Etape, which deliver long term economic benefit to the area.  But, what level of importance do you feel the following events and festival initiatives would have in attracting more visitors out of season in the shoulder and winter months and also spreading the benefits more widely across the destination?

7. Event/festival centred on Burns Night to help with winter months
Q6: Please suggest any other initiative(s) that you think would help build on the existing events and festival calendar?
Winter activities, Christmas market in Inverness, an event similar to Pitlochry's enchanted forest
Event/festival centred on Burns Night to help with winter months
Food festivals and trails
Can you support/sponsor village hall events for small rural places
Tag on other similar perhaps smaller events to large 2/3 day events
A 'soft adventure' outdoor pursuits festival

8. Q7: Business Development - VILN will continue to provide members with opportunities to enhance the sustainability of their business. But how important do you think the following business development opportunities would be?

9. An opportunity to meet with agents and organise fam trips to the area
Q8: Please suggest any other business development initiative(s) that would assist your business?
An opportunity to meet with agents and organise fam trips to the area
Offer stand share opportunities at VisitScotland Expo, WTM, ITB etc
more initiatives focused on retaining young local talent
Subsidise translation services Language training

10. Q9: Business Tourism - Business Tourism is worth almost £2 billion to the Scottish economy. VILN is committed to continuing to promoting the growth of Business Tourism in the Inverness and Loch Ness area. But how important do you think the following business tourism activities are?

11. Q10: Please suggest any other business tourism initiative(s) that would assist your business?
More information about what we have coming to the area and how the VILN members can support these visits?
Without the aforementioned responses being acted upon we are left to use solely our own initiative, the danger being apathy and ignorance of the huge opportunities for all.
Highlight the range and diversity of businesses which can create unique experiences

12. Q11: Advocacy - Over the past three years VILN has raised a number of issues and concerns of the local tourism industry at both a local and national level, for example the rates revaluation, cutting VAT rates in tourism,  the concerns of tourism businesses with regards Brexit. But what issues should VILN be doing more to influence?

13. Lobby for increase in VAT threshold
Q12: Please suggest any other lobbying issue(s) you think is important?
Campaign on reducing business rates. Lower air passenger duty. special variable rates of VAT on tourism products for the consumer
Provision of public toilets to cope with the masses of visitors we are now seeing
Lobby for increase in VAT threshold
Doing more to facilitate business working with cruise ships
Work with city bid to make the town centre streets more welcoming

14. Q13: Priorities for the Future - Please prioritise the 6 areas of activity in order of importance.

15. steps should be taken to protect places such as Skye.
Q14: If you have any further comments to add with regards any sections of the questionnaire, please complete in the space below
In order to encourage longer and out of season stays more indoor venues / activities need to be provided
When tourism is so important to all of us the welcome host scheme is a great way to educate everybody into providing the very best service
We need to look at each village around loch ness and think what needs to be actioned to make that village look more appealing to Tourists.
steps should be taken to protect places such as Skye.

16. Q15: Your Business Sector