Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 07/08/2024

We’ve been busy over the last quarter engaging with travel trade audiences across our target markets and planning further events through to the end of the year.

The nature of that engagement varies considerably depending on the audience in question.

With so many of our international visitors using travel intermediaries to help plan and book their travel, tour operators, wholesalers, online travel agents and travel advisers are an important focus of our work.

For example, over 70% of high spending US travellers use one or more intermediary channel to curate and book their trip.

In this article:

How we work with travel intermediaries

The influence travel intermediaries have on visitors begins way before the booking phase. Scotland travellers are now reverting to much longer planning time frames once again. Six months to a year out in many cases.

With these longer time frames, what the intermediaries put out into the market via their brochures, websites, social media, advertising and database activity can influence visitor choices.

We work closely with the travel intermediaries on the product and bookable experiences they put out into market. This lets us actively influence travellers to make more of the right decisions and more responsible travel commitments long before visitors ever leave home.

Working with us to take Scotland to the trade

Attending trade events is not the only way to influence travel intermediaries who are keen to learn more about Scotland and find bookable product for their programmes.

We’re keen to hear more about your trade-ready offering, and happy to help you craft your pitch.

  • Product presentations

    We hold frequent product presentation sessions to:

    • keep us updated on new businesses and offerings

    • add these to our trade-ready listings online

    We then promote these to travel intermediaries. We also provide them with videos of pitches to keep them abreast of what’s new.

  • What’s new updates

    New trade-ready products are included in our what’s new product updates. We email this out to our tour operator and travel agent contacts across the globe.

  • Webinars and workshops

    We use webinars and virtual workshops to frequently engage with travel trade overseas. In recent months, we provided product update presentations and dedicated luxury webinars to our Virtuoso consortium and high-end traveller audiences.

  • Destination and sales training

    Our help does not stop at getting new products into tour operators’ programmes. We also undertake Scotland destination and sales training presentations. These help inform the sales and travel agency networks of tour operators about major new programmes. They also encourage sales.

  • In-person events

    Live events continue to play an important role in building relationships and trust with our target contacts. Our flagship travel trade event is VisitScotland Connect, which brings 250 UK and international buyers to Scotland each year. On top of this, we work with VisitBritain to organise and / or attend a number of events in territory.

Live event activity

Between 10-16 August, we'll be at the Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas.

This will feature one-to-one appointments with top luxury travel advisors with the potential to bring their high-end clients to Scotland.

Discussions will include a focus on:

  • four and five star accommodation

  • premium and bespoke immersive experiences for the curious luxury traveller

Luxury accommodation House of Gods in Glasgow

Events to be part of

  • Australia Mission (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, 8-13 September 2024)

    We will participate in VisitBritain’s Australia mission, providing face-to-face appointments across three key cities. We’ll host additional opportunities for Scottish participants.

    Find out more about the Australia Roadshow 2024 mission.

  • Business Development Mission – China (London, 15 October 2024)

    We’re inviting UK-based contractors for China to meet with selected Scottish tourism suppliers for one-to-one appointments.

    Are you a business interested in getting into the China market in the future? Reach out to: travel.trade@visitscotland.com.

  • Business Development Mission – North America (London, 16 October 2024)

    An opportunity for UK and Ireland-based contractors for North America to meet with selected Scottish tourism suppliers for one-to-one appointments.

    Are you a business interested in getting into the North America market in the future? Reach out to travel.trade@visitscotland.com.

  • Germany Workshop (Frankfurt, 13-14 November 2024)

    We’ll participate in VisitBritain’s Germany workshop. There, we'll meet with key German tour operators from across Germany in a programme of one-to-one appointments.

    Are you a business interested in developing the German market in the future? Reach out to travel.trade@visitscotland.com.

    Find out more about the VisitBritain Germany Workshop.

  • Luxury Scotland Showcase webinar series (autumn 2024 and spring 2025)

    Our Luxury Scotland Showcase webinars in January 2024 were received to great acclaim. Building on their success, we plan to hold a series of six webinars. There will be opportunities for appropriate Scottish tourism businesses to participate.

    Are you a luxury business developing the North America market and are interested in participating? Contact travel.trade@visitscotland.com.

  • ITB Berlin (Berlin, 4-6 March 2025)

    We’ll attend the largest global travel trade fair during three full days of:

    • business-to-business networking
    • meeting opportunities with local and global travel trade and agents

    This event provides the opportunity to co-exhibit under the VisitBritain brand, jointly with VisitScotland, alongside other Scottish businesses.

    Are you a business interested in developing the German market in the future? Reach out to travel.trade@visitscotland.com.

    Find out more about ITB Berlin 2025.

Related links

06/08/2024

Business events update

Find out how we support business (or MICE) events to boost Scotland's visitor economy.