New guide launched to help tourists find foodie experiences across Ayrshire

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A new guide has been launched to help businesses across Ayrshire and Arran make the most of a growing demand for Scotland’s culinary experiences.It comes as new research by the national tourism organisation found that over a third (34 per cent) of visitors to the region took part in a food and drink experience as part of their trip.

This included visiting a farm shop or farmers market, fine dining or attending a festival.The Scotland Visitor Survey 2023 aims to help understand why visitors take a holiday or short break in Scotland and how they rate their experiences when here.The findings revealed that almost half of visitors (46 per cent) to Scotland took part in at least one food and drink activity (in addition to eating out) during their trip last year, with nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of long-haul visitors now naming food and drink as the reason for choosing Scotland as a destination.To help local businesses capitalise on this trend, VisitScotland, in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink, has created a free industry guide.Hosted on VisitScotland.org, the online guide contains information to ensure that businesses can cater for the interests and expectations of their visitors.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Included as part of the free guide is:Lynsey Eckford, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “Scotland’s reputation for food and drink is exceptional