How VisitScotland engages with the German market

Identifying the opportunity

We gather data and insight on the German travel market to understand trends and opportunities for Scottish tourism. These are shared via our:

• digital communications
• briefings and webinars for businesses looking to attract German visitors

Critically, our research extends to identifying those travel intermediaries who present the greatest opportunities for curating the best Scotland offering and taking it to market.  

We target the operators: 

• with the best-fit client base 
• who are open to creating or extending their Scotland programme
• who are open to developing out of season programmes and 
• who will actively promote these via their travel agency and sales teams or direct to the German consumer

We develop long term relationships with these operators. Our aim is to make it easy for them to find and connect with products and experiences.

Creating the right product

German tour operators are looking for accommodation and attractions to help them extend and update their core itineraries.

They are also very interested to learn more about what’s new and unique on the Scottish tourism landscape. This includes small businesses, new to the market.  

Their German traveller clients are increasingly asking for experiences that are unique and authentically Scottish. This gives them opportunities to:

• take them away off the beaten track 
• actively engage with the Scottish landscape  
• get involved with local traditions and communities 

In our ongoing conversations with them, and via online updates, we work to raise operators’ awareness of these new products. 

We work with Scottish businesses, especially those new to working with the travel trade. We help them become trade-ready and shape their pitch. We help them to be ready to engage with German intermediaries.

A focus on responsible tourism

Our German visitors are open to exploring – and spending – time away from the crowd. They want to enjoy engaging with the locals, experiencing their traditions and local food and drink.  

Being more environmentally conscious than most, they’re suspicious of "green- washing". They appreciate evidence that Scottish businesses are making efforts to deliver a more responsible tourism experience.

We support Scottish businesses to:

• develop their climate action plan
• encourage them to share their progress and responsible tourism credentials

With tour operators, we work to raise Scotland’s profile as a responsible tourism destination. We encourage them to:

• incorporate these options within their programmes
• offer more sustainable itineraries with reduced emissions and more responsible travel options

Making the right connections

We bring Scottish businesses together with German wholesalers and tour operators. This is done through a programme of activities and events both at home and in Germany.  

Making contact with intermediaries who make the contracting decisions for German programmes doesn't have to be an expensive business. We do so in the following ways:

• our travel trade website and enewsletters highlight new products and developments
• we organise events to introduce businesses to Scotland and London-based destination management companies who contract Scottish business on behalf of major German operators
• our VisitScotland Connect event brings around 40 German tour operators to Scotland for workshop meetings and familiarisation trips
• our presence with partners at ITB Berlin provides access to Germany’s top operators at the world’s largest travel trade event

Promoting programmes and driving sales

Sales of operators’ new programmes are optimised if their agency and sales teams are confident to push them. We deliver Scotland destination education and sales training support.

We also provide marketing assets including content and imagery. And on occasion, we offer specific joint marketing support of target programmes direct to consumers.