A HIGHLAND tourism group is on course to raise £100,000 in its first year after securing a significant investment from Tomatin Distillery.
Highland Tourism was set up to promote the Highlands as a sustainable tourism destination, working with community groups and businesses in the area.
Tomatin has pledged to invest £150,000 in the initiative over the next three years, bolstering the £50,000 the organisation has already raised in its first year.
The group plans to raise £3.5 million from funders over the next three years.
“This investment from Tomatin Distillery is a key milestone for Highland Tourism and the region,” said co-founder and chair, Yvonne Crook.
“We set out with a big vision for the future of the Highlands as a world leading tourism destination and we are delighted to secure Tomatin Distillery as a founding sponsor and partner with shared community and sustainable values.
“Highland Tourism has benefited from private sector investment of £50,000 to date and Tomatin Distillery’s investment will bring that to £100,000 in year one.
“We are already in talks with a number of other funders and are on track to realising our ambition to invest £3.5m in the sustainable development of tourism in the Highlands over a three-year period. We are incredibly grateful to Tomatin Distillery for the confidence they have to make a three-year investment.”
Tomatin managing director, Stephen Bremner, said: “We are aware that it is very easy to make statements about supporting sustainability and having a care for the environment but it’s actions that really count.
“This substantial investment in the work of Highland Tourism demonstrates our real commitment to a number of goals. They include working along with fellow members of the Scotch Whisky Association towards achieving the ambitious target, for the industry, of being carbon net zero by 2045 as well as supporting our key responsibility to our local community by protecting the local environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance the ecosystem resilience.”
