Much of Seabridge’s consulting work in 2002 was in the tourism and heritage fields.
Our involvement in genealogy tourism projects continued to expand. In January 2002 the first version of the national genealogy tourism web site www.ancestralscotland.com was launched. Seabridge was involved in the specification, content production and testing of this web site, and demonstrated the site at a media launch. We have continued in the role of project consultants.
We were responsible for the genealogy tourism copy - two double-page spreads - in the main Scotland US tourism brochure and wrote various other articles for publication both on-line and in traditional media.
We wrote the copy for a 36 page genealogy tourism brochure used recently during the launch of the latest version of www.ancestralscotland.com in Australia and New Zealand.
We were engaged, first by Orkney Tourist Board and then Scottish Borders Tourist Board, to carry out genealogy tourism scoping studies in which opportunities for appropriate developments were identified. As a follow up to the Orkney study we will shortly start work on an Orkney Genealogy Tourism Development Strategy.
We are currently working on a commission from Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian to produce a user-friendly guide to the genealogy and family history resources available in Edinburgh.
As well as genealogy-related work we have also been engaged in a number of heritage projects in the north of Scotland. We prepared a Development Strategy and Plan for the Caithness Archaeological Trust and a similar document for its sister organisation, the Yarrows Heritage Trust.
We continue to provide advice and support to both Trusts. Across in Sutherland we carried out a Project Initiation Study for the community-led Mackay Country project, in which we set out a coherent vision and project plan for this ambitious initiative. Staying in Sutherland we were recently engaged by Strathnaver Museum to produce a Development Strategy for the museum, involving business development, marketing, interpretation and architectural appraisal elements.
Staying in Sutherland we were recently engaged by Strathnaver Museum to produce a Development Strategy for the museum, involving business development, marketing, interpretation and architectural appraisal elements.
Closer to home, in Orkney, we are responsible for the management of the North Ronaldsay Archives Project following our successful involvement in fund-raising for the project. In addition we have worked with community groups and individual businesses plans to help them clarify their ideas and produce Business Plans.
Internationally, Seabridge has carried out work in Estonia and Canada.
In Estonia we were invited to work with a leading tourism e-Business consultancy to produce an e-Business discussion document for Enterprise Estonia. This has now been taken forward as an e-Business Strategy.
In Canada, we were invited by Travel Manitoba to carry out a major study of the Province’s tourism industry and consult with industry leaders regarding its future shape. Our recommendations have been accepted and, following the required legislative changes, implementation will begin. We anticipate being involved in the development of other business and community links between Orkney and Manitoba in the future.