He's white, fluffy, goes by the name of Murdo and is on a mission to help businesses in the Highlands and Islands capture a bigger share of the lucrative tourist market.
And while he may be small, this West Highland terrier has taken on the big task as a new canine web-based resource for the region's booming hospitality and tourism sector.
Designed and developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Murdo's main role is to provide a quick and easy web-based information service for the hospitality industry. It is part of HIE's support to local business for Hospitality Assured, the standard for business and service excellence in the hospitality industry.
His job is to track down news on the very latest in customer care, give advice on how hospitality businesses can stay ahead of the game plus plenty of practical tips on how to enhance products and services.
He also provides a quick and easy fetch and carry service. Visitors to his site at www.hie.co.uk/murdo can leave any questions relating to Hospitality Assured and Murdo will deliver them to a team of specially trained coaches and be back with the answer within 48 hours.
Audrey MacLennan, senior development manager for tourism at HIE says: "There remains massive potential for growth in this region's hospitality industry. The launch of Murdo is all about enabling businesses to raise their game and compete more effectively in what is a fast-changing and competitive market place. This is a unique resource for the hospitality industry in the Highlands and Islands and there's nothing else quite like
it in Scotland."
At the click of a button businesses can learn about everything Hospitality Assured is doing, discover great examples of best practice to enable to offer the very best in terms of service and quality and read up on some of the latest industry news.
There is also a helpful overview of what Hospitality Assured is all about and how to get involved, up-to-date industry news, where to get training and a full list of Highlands and Islands Hospitality Assured accredited companies.
Murdo has been given a warm welcome by the region's tourism and hospitality industry.
Alastair Cunningham of Scottish Clans and Castles Ltd says: "With the pound remaining obstinately high against currencies in our major markets, the need for quality is that much more acute. But how can businesses achieve this in a measured and manageable way?
"A wee dog called Murdo seems to be the answer and the concept is brilliant. When people ask us about our own journey to Hospitality Assured we just refer them to Murdo where you can sign up and start assessing what remains to be done."
