Four meetings are held annually in venues across the region, giving members the opportunity to not only get a decent lunch and have a couple of hours away from the work location but also to
- learn about industry news and information,
- hear of new developments and get first notice about new opportunities,
- take time to meet other operators in the tourism industry to share problems (and solutions!)
- develop partnerships and forge close working relationships.
The worth of these relationships can be seen in the award of the VisitScotland Thistle Award for Partnership in Tourism which was won by VisitLanarkshire in 2013 and is still retained by ourselves as the title has now changed!
We have a number of benefits to being a member of the LTA, and this includes Associate membership of The Scottish Tourism Alliance, the organisation who look to lead on industry matters. Not only do you get plenty of very useful information and insights from them, as a member of the LTA, you are also able to gain access to discounts, and who doesn’t love getting something that bit cheaper! There is a full piece on the STA in our business listing section.
The LTA, which is run by managers and senior personnel within tourism businesses in the area, feeds into the Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership, the strategic body which oversees the development of tourism in both North and South Lanarkshire and includes a partnership of North and South Lanarkshire Councils and Visit Scotland.
Seriously though, we all feel that it is so important to know about your area and who is also doing great things to bring people to the area, as the better that Lanarkshire is as a whole then the better for all of us, hence our desire for collaboration and partnership! Sure, there is a small fee for annual membership but it is all put back into the association and not just for the lunches!