Sector

Tourism and Leisure

Interface facilitates Leisure and Tourism Business Development

The leisure and tourism industries are at the heart of Scotland’s growing economy. Leisure and tourism business development is vital to ensure that this continues to grow, promoting our best assets, include our people, places, nature, culture and heritage. Our country has a reputation as a friendly and safe destination for leisure and business tourism. Tourist products are designed for domestic and international visitors so they have many fantastic options for places to stay, things to see and do.

As with other sectors, Interface are able to provide support for the leisure and tourism industries so that those working within these industries can benefit from academic research and expertise. Interface are able to facilitate partnerships with Scottish higher education institutes to help develop your product, service or idea.

Looking forward 

Looking forward Scotland’s tourism stakeholders intend to grow tourism volume and spend. Together, they work to make Scotland a first choice destination for a high quality experience, value for money and memorable customer experience, delivered by skilled and passionate people. Led by the Scottish Tourism Alliance The Big Five Questions provides tourism businesses with the most relevant advice and help from partners including Interface.

How Interface can help with Leisure and Tourism Business Development

Like many sectors Interface supports, the tourism sector in Scotland is made up of many small enterprises with limited resources, with only a third of new tourism businesses surviving past 5 years. We realise that tourism businesses across Scotland face common and distinctive challenges.

Leisure and tourism business development is key to growing a healthy and robust industry. If you are an organisation looking to improve your brand, grow your reach, or build your audience, building ties with academia could be a great starting point for you. Here are some ideas of where academic expertise in research and development can be applied to collaborative projects:

  • Adding to your understanding of behaviour, motivations and attitudes of your target domestic and international markets
  • Developing products for retail
  • Contributing to projects extending the seasonality of a destination
  • Acting where energy efficiencies and cost savings can be made
  • Developing smart devices to help design visitor flows and ease congestion
  • Designing engaging and inclusive solutions for visitor access
  • Utilising digital technology to help visitors find information and plan their trips
  • Bringing computer technologies like virtual or augmented reality to enhance interpretation
  • Creating marketing material for modern means of communication

Tourism Business Development – Case Studies

  • Outer Hebrides Tourism paired with University of Glasgow

Outer Hebrides Tourism collaborated with the University of Glasgow as part of the Adopt a Business scheme; a new initiative aimed at boosting the sector’s recovery from COVID-19 by connecting tourism businesses to university academics and students; helping businesses to diversify and adapt to the new environment.​ Read the full Case Study here.

  • Seaboard Memorial Hall paired with University of St Andrews

Seaboard Memorial Hall collaborated with the University of St Andrews to develop a workforce plan for a new Heritage Community Centre based on the collection of paintings and memorabilia of John Paterson; identifying the new skills and expertise that would be required for a successful and sustainable operation. Read the full Case Study here.

Specialist Facilities 

Turning your concept into reality, no matter your sector or what material you have designed your product for, is possible through the vast range of specialist facilities and supporting technical resource. Explore some options which may be of benefit if you are looking for leisure or tourism business development.

  • Multimedia Studios – Dedicated studio facilities for video and audio production offer up-to-date digital industry standard equipment including purpose built newsrooms and acoustic labs.
  • Manufacturing – Our HEI’s can help with manufacturing research & development by testing and developing different processes and techniques.
  • Virtual Reality – Virtual reality is a rapidly growing industry and Scotland has cutting edge facilities to support research and product development across sectors such as gaming, medicine and training.

Interface Free and Impartial Services

For further information and to find out how Interface can help with your product, service or idea simply contact us. A member of our Business Engagement team would be delighted to help.