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Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 12/12/2024

Our winter marketing strategy

As we head into the winter season, our marketing efforts are adapting to tackle the unique challenges that this time of year brings to some within Scotland’s tourism industry.

The winter months can be tough for many businesses across Scotland, with some experiencing quieter business periods, seasonal weather challenges and the cost-of-living crisis continuing to impact consumer confidence.

To support businesses through this period and inspire travel, both now and into 2025, our marketing strategy is focused on highlighting the unique appeal of a Scottish winter.

How we’re promoting winter tourism

Our marketing activity this season centres around five key themes that resonate with winter travellers:

  • Winter festivals and events
  • Outdoor adventures
  • Coorie and cosy escapes
  • Local and unique experiences
  • Dark skies and the northern lights

These themes align with our Good for the Soul message, which focuses on the restorative and enriching qualities of a Scottish winter. Through this approach, we aim to achieve spread, spend, sustainability, and satisfaction for the industry.

Find out more about our Good for the Soul visitor proposition


 

Uath Lochans in Badenoch, Kingussie

Key activity | inspiring visitors to Scotland

  • Continuing to promote Scotland’s TV and film tourism

    TV and film continue to play a vital role in building Scotland’s profile. From Outlander to The Bachelor and Scotland’s Great Escapes, our landscapes and culture are showcased to millions.

    Research highlights the influence of “set-jetting,” with more than half of Expedia survey respondents citing it as a factor in their travel plans. Our current activity with Expedia capitalises on this trend, spotlighting some of the great film and TV locations across Scotland. 

    Find useful insights and tips on how to capitalise on film, TV and literature tourism in Scotland.

  • Creating / sharing winter-specific messaging

    Our messaging focuses on what makes winter in Scotland special:

    • Embrace the dark: Winter darkness enhances Scotland’s charm, offering experiences like stargazing, light shows, and northern lights. Our latest partnership campaign with Caledonian Sleeper highlights this theme, encouraging visitors to "wake up to the Scotland of your dreams". While our expanded media toolkit can support the industry with compelling visuals – free to download and use.
    • Winter-specific activities: From outdoor saunas to unique natural encounters, we showcase activities that thrive in winter. Online travel agency platforms and our own content highlight these opportunities, ensuring consistent messaging.
    • Coorie culture: The concept of coorie — a cosy, Scottish embrace of the season — is central to our campaigns. Content spans from hot chocolate trails to cosy retreats, and the media toolkit provides resources to amplify this messaging across all platforms.

     

    Find out how to access images and video of Scotland for free on our media toolkit.

  • Amplifying our message through PR and influencer activity

    Our PR and influencer activities ensure expert voices amplify our winter messages:

    • Coorie stories: A global PR pack has been distributed to inspire journalists, while influencer TravelTwo will create new content showcasing winter’s unique offerings.
    • Dark Skies campaigns: Collaborations with Nat Geo Traveller, The Times Scotland, and The Guardian promote Scotland’s dark sky sanctuaries, while the influencer Maddi Swift visits Aberdeenshire to highlight these experiences.
    • SEO outreach: Content around events like Burns Night and activities that connect with nature supports our digital reach.

     

    We work with global travel and lifestyle press to encourage potential visitors to choose Scotland as their holiday destination. We want to hear your stories so we can potentially share them – new openings, tours, experiences, or trends that you’re adopting or are shaping your offering. Tell us what's new.

  • Using social media to amplify our messages

    Social media continues to play a big role in sharing the sights and sounds of winter in Scotland. While dark skies are challenging to capture, light displays, and coorie-themed content perform exceptionally well.

    Our experiential focus brings the sensory aspects of winter — its sounds, weather, and landscapes — to life, inviting audiences to share and amplify our messages.

    Learn more about how we work with influencers in both an ad-hoc capacity, and as part of our dedicated programmes that run throughout the year.

Looking ahead

This season marks an exciting evolution in our approach, fully embracing the Good for the Soul marketing proposition and refining our strategies to target early-stage travel inspiration.

As plans evolve, there are ample opportunities to get involved, contribute ideas, and help shape Scotland’s winter marketing efforts.

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