We bid a fond farewell to our departing CEO Malcolm Roughead on 1 October, as he confidently handed over the mantle to our new CEO and former Director of Marketing and Digital, Vicki Miller.
Though a familiar face, and known to many across the sector, we caught up with Vicki to find out a little more about her career in tourism and her plans for VisitScotland going forward.
I started with VisitScotland in 2005 after the merger of the area tourist boards with VisitScotland (Scottish Tourist Board at the time).
After working for Dumfries & Galloway Tourist Board as its interim CEO (previously Head of Marketing & Visitor Services) I took up the post of Area Director for Perthshire. My role was looking after the team and all our stakeholder relationships in Perthshire. My role was then broadened to include Perthshire, Angus and Dundee.
Vicki Miller at VisitScotland Connect 2024
I've been very fortunate that as VisitScotland has adapted to the changing travel landscape, I have taken on new responsibilities and managed a number of change projects over the years. From setting up local marketing in 2007, where I had responsibility for our relationships with local authority partners, to delivering regional support and campaigns, the development of our first information strategy, the evolution of visitscotland.com and the development of our digital marketing capabilities.
The variety of my work in VisitScotland has been very rewarding. If you had asked my younger self if I ever imagined being VisitScotland’s Director of Marketing or Chief Executive Officer I would have said no! When these opportunities have come up however, the time felt right to use the knowledge and experience I've gained in my roles to put myself forward.
The opportunity to continue to work within an organisation where the people are so passionate about Scotland and the organisation's mission to grow the value of the visitor economy, is compelling.
While COVID-19 was one of our toughest crises to navigate, it was also a time when we pulled together to be agile to the changing travel rules, doing whatever we could to help businesses recover.
I’m exceptionally proud of our work during that difficult time, taking on new roles such as managing industry recovery funds or developing new recovery initiatives that resulted in us securing additional funding from Scottish Government for a variety of projects including our international marketing activity. All of which have been integral to the recovery of the visitor economy in Scotland.
It was also a time when we faced into new challenges. For example, developing our visitor management framework and working with multiple partners to develop a co-ordinated response to evolve our work in for managing visitors. During that time, I chaired the Marketing & Education subgroup and we developed a messaging framework which we continue to evolve today, ensuring that responsible tourism principles are reflected across all partners activities.
The people and the can-do culture.
There is never a challenge that is too big or too difficult. Everyone is hugely passionate about the contribution they make to the Scottish economy.
Scotland punches above its weight in a very competitive marketplace and delivers world class events which are the envy of many. However, we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to continue to evolve what we do and how we work, adapting to the changing landscape to ensure we continue to drive the visitor economy.
We have experienced good growth from a number of key international markets and it's my priority that we continue all the significant work we do to keep Scotland front of mind in the markets that are important to us. This includes developing partnerships that help us to spread spend across Scotland and across the year.
I also want to ensure that we grow awareness of Scotland in markets that have the potential to be important to our medium and long-term future growth. Collaboration and partnership working is going to be a vital part of that.
The fiscal challenges that both businesses and the wider public sector are facing means that we need to pull together to use our collective resources. Going forward there is an opportunity to work even closer with our destination and sector partners to ensure we're tailoring our support to the unique opportunities and challenges faced by each. Therefore, helping businesses to tap into changing travel trends, develop climate action plans, capitalise on local investment projects and sector strengths, and adapt their offer to reach new audiences and markets.
Most important of all is ensuring that we do this in a responsible way, and that tourism continues to be a force for good.
Vicki Miller at the Scottish Thistle Awards 2024. Credit VisitScotland / Connor Mollison
Believe in yourself, don’t let self-doubt put you off applying for, or taking on, a new opportunity or challenge.
In my experience, women in business are more self-critical and that can often mean self-doubt creeps in. This certainly has been the case for me.
For any leader, you also need to remember that you don’t need to know absolutely everything. Having a diverse team with different skills and expertise is what's important.
That is a hard one as Scotland is so diverse in terms of landscape and experiences. Its beauty also changes across the seasons. I live in Perthshire which is especially beautiful in the autumn, close to Fife and the beautiful coastline of the East Neuk.
I still have family in Dumfries & Galloway and recently got to enjoy a weekend in Galloway with friends and was reminded just how beautiful that area is.
I am fortunate that in my role I get to visit all parts of Scotland and meet with many of the people who give our visitors that welcome that we’re known for.
For insider tips or inspiration on your next trip in Scotland take a look at our website - visitscotland.com
Sunrise over Glen Trool, Galloway. Credit VisitScotland / Damian Shields