OREANDA-NEWS. January 23, 2013. Scotland’s leading energy company, SSE, was today announced as the headline sponsor of the 2013 Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards, the scheme that highlights the best of the region’s tourism industry.

Now in their eighth year, the awards will take place at the Drumossie Hotel on 4th October 2013. Over 300-industry professionals are expected to attend what has become known as one of Scotland’s leading tourism industry celebrations.

The awards celebrate excellence in Highland Tourism and are operated by business, for business.

Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards chairperson, Marina Huggett, said: “We are delighted to welcome SSE as headline sponsor of this year’s awards. SSE is known and respected as a responsible developer that supports a number of the companies these awards seek to promote.

“The industry is proud of all that is being achieved in offering a superb, world-class welcome to a growing number of visitors each year, and the awards pay tribute to this. There is a strong link with the established values of quality and excellence across the SSE organisation so this exciting sponsorship development is a natural alliance.

“Both the tourism and energy industries are hugely important to the economic future of this region. It is therefore important we understand each other and work together for mutual benefit.

“An increasing number of hospitality businesses in Scotland are going “green” in the way they operate, seeing this as a long-term contribution to global challenges on the one hand and on the other hand, a way to strengthen their marketing appeal as more and more potential visitors look to support green businesses.”

SSE’s Managing Director, Renewables, Jim Smith said: “The Highlands and Islands are famed for outstanding beauty and great hospitality and, through our sponsorship of the awards, we are proud to help recognise the businesses and individuals that make the most of these natural assets.

“The region’s other great natural asset is its potential for renewable energy and SSE has been working with communities in the Highlands and Islands for generations to build sensitively-sited developments that deliver real benefit to the local economy.

“Both tourism and renewable energy depend on the natural environment and we share many values. There need be no conflict between tourism and well-sited and well-managed renewable projects. In fact, through the funding of community projects and our commitment to support local business, unlocking the Highlands and Islands potential for renewable energy can only benefit the tourist industry.

Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy and Tourism, said: "Anyone who has visited Scotland and had the pleasure of seeing its majestic landscapes and beautiful coastlines will agree that as a nation, we have won the natural lottery.

“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring a sustainable future for Scotland. Renewable energy is an essential to that future, and the renewable energy sector and the tourism industry will continue to flourish side by side. There are already strong examples of the potential to increase the benefits of sustainable tourism in an area through partnership working with the renewables sector itself, and I welcome SSE's sponsorship of the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards as a good example of this partnership working.

"Renewable energy brings visitors to Scotland in its own right and encourages them to spend money in our tourism businesses. As Scotland’s renewable energy industry grows, business related conferences are bringing more and more business visitors.

"Last year's awards were one of the highlights of the year, and the Drumossie Hotel and its staff made all the guests very welcome in what was a magnificent event for all.”

Many tourism businesses in the Highlands and Islands have already seen a direct benefit from renewable development, including the 28-bed hotel The Lovat, Loch Ness which received a ?500,000 turnover boost during construction of SSE’s Glendoe hydro-electric scheme.

Caroline Gregory, owner of The Lovat, Loch Ness, explains: “The boost in business we received from SSE during the Glendoe development was invaluable and really filled the dips between visitor seasons. We’re open year-round and without renewables that certainly wouldn’t have been the case. I think the development gave the whole area a lift.

“As a hotel, we pride ourselves on our sustainable ethos and, for me, supporting greener forms of energy is just part of that.”