Small firm co‐operative marketing in a peripheral tourism region

Tracks the evolution of a small hotel firm marketing consortium from 1990 when Scotland’s Commended Hotels, now called Scotland’s Hotels of Distinction (SHD), was formed. It can be described as an association of individually‐owned and managed country and town house hotels from 3‐star to 4‐star levels in terms of the Scottish Tourist Board grading and classification scheme. It currently has 62 members, which represent 1,116 bedrooms, giving an average size of 17 bedrooms. Key aims of SHD are to: maintain its position as the leading professional consortium for Scottish hotels which meet membership criteria; and to be active in marketing terms on behalf of members. This involves seeking opportunities to maximise profitable returns by accessing domestic and overseas markets which would otherwise be difficult on an individual small firm basis. In addition, SHD promotes co‐operation to enhance inter‐member referral business. The unification of such a peripheral segment of the hotel industry sector enables effective marketing of a tourist destination to the potential business performance benefit of individual member small firms.