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Inverness
Thursday, February 13, 2025

Cairngorms Business Leader Sets Out Vision for 2025

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The chief executive of Cairngorms Business Partnership, which includes VisitCairngorms, has set out the organisation’s vision and plans for 2025, saying the year could well be its “most pivotal” to date.

It comes as visits to the region continue to gain momentum, with a bumper 2024/25 winter season buoyed by a campaign showcasing Cairngorms National Park’s rich and extensive appeal at this time of year.

More than 370 tourism firms joined forces to promote it as the UK’s “original winter destination” as part of the initiative conceived by VisitCairngorms, which is part of Cairngorms Business Partnership.

The Where Winter Comes to Life! campaign, led by the latter organisation, launched in September with a focus on outdoor adventure, wildlife and nature, health and wellbeing, food and drink, culture and heritage.

In early 2024, Craig Mills took over the reins as CEO of Cairngorms Business Partnership, which is a chamber of commerce and destination management organisation, providing the support to help local businesses thrive.

Mills said he now sees the organisation well placed to realise its ambitions.

He added:

“We enjoyed a really strong 2024, gaining traction in the latter part of the year with the highly effective Where Winter Comes to Life! Campaign with many firms reporting a jump in activity on the back of this.

‘And we want to keep up this momentum.

“A key factor for me in taking on the CEO role at Cairngorms Business Partnership was the great opportunity to work in a part of Scotland so close to my heart – there are so many great organisations making the most of the stunning landscape.”

He added that 80 per cent of Cairngorms Business Partnership’s 400-odd members are in the key tourism and hospitality sector, but the organisation is now keen to recruit more from various other sectors to together really cover the entire local economy.”

The Cairngorms Business Partnership is a not-for-profit private sector led organisation that operates in the Cairngorms National Park.

Its key areas of work encompass:

  • Promotion, PR and Marketing of the Cairngorms National Park as a destination
  • Development of businesses and the wider destination
  • Advocacy representing local business interests and providing a voice for them at a local and national level 
  • Management of the Cairngorms Economic Forum and monitoring of the delivery of the Cairngorms Economic Strategy
  • Supporting businesses in areas such as training, strategy days and networking events.

Mills also said:

“We want to support the great work local firms do both individually and as a whole, as they continue to navigate and overcome various challenges.

“They’re showing that they are creative and able to pivot when needed, and are also really turning their hand to try and do more things for each other – this kind of effort and collaboration is like nowhere I’ve seen before.

“We want to be more powerful for members, with our members.

“We want them to have a voice. 

“Now, as 2025 gets under way, I believe Cairngorms Business Partnership is in a great position to clarify, strengthen, and futureproof both its operations and its role in this incredible area of Scotland.”

VisitCairngorms works to drive visits to Cairngorms National Park.

The latest tourism economic impact research report for what is the UK’s largest National Park indicated steady growth in visitor numbers, spend and employment.

There were an estimated 2.15 million tourism visits to the region in 2023, adding around £419m in value to the local tourism economy, and supporting over 5,400 full-time equivalent jobs. 

CBP is supported by five local councils, VisitScotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, The Scottish Chambers of Commerce and The Cairngorms National Park Authority as a Chamber of Commerce and a Destination Management Organisation committed to promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.

For more information on the Cairngorms Business Partnership, go to www.cairngormschamber.com and follow on LinkedIn and

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