Our new chair, Stephen Leckie, met with businesses that are leading the charge on responsible tourism and destination development in East Lothian on a recent visit, in collaboration with East Lothian Council.
Stephen Leckie, who took up the position of chair in April, visited Belhaven Brewery, Foxlake Adventures, and Whitekirk Hill Resort as part of his visit.
He was accompanied by our Regional Director, Neil Christison, and met with Provost John McMillan, council officials and business owners and staff, touring facilities and discussing tourism developments.
Business representatives included those from Dukes of West Barns, Ocean Vertical, and Dunmuir Hotel.
Working with the travel trade
The visit was organised in conjunction with East Lothian Council on the back of our successful travel trade event, VisitScotland Connect, held in April, in which businesses from East Lothian attended.
VisitScotland Connect returns to P&J Live in Aberdeen on 9 - 10 April 2025 and eligible trade-ready businesses are being invited to register their attendance.
Engaging with the travel trade is important for businesses seeking to increase their international profile and bookings, as more than half of international visitors plan and book their travel through travel agents or tour operators.
The local authority has since supported two groups of 10 businesses for its travel trade development programme, to enable them to engage with travel agents and tour operators.
