Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 16/01/2025

Business and experience development

Business and experience development is a key focus area for us – along with market development and place (destination) development. Together, these will help us attract investment into Scotland and help businesses to grow.

We’ve been reviewing our approach to business support and advice to ensure it meets business needs and reflects the ever-changing competitive environment. Delivering a year-round programme of free-to-access support, we’ll reach more businesses, helping them grow and connect with new audiences.

A key part of our business support programme is the delivery of a new Business Support Hub website.

As we kick off the New Year, work on the new website is really ramping up as we speed towards making the first version of the website available to the public. This article provides an update on progress made.

What to expect from the website

The website will provide tourism and event businesses access to free tailored advice, resources and opportunities to help them operate and grow their business in a sustainable way.

Content will be available in multiple formats such as how-to videos, case studies and practical evidence-based articles. The Business Support Hub will include guidance on topics we know are important to businesses, such as:

  • meeting customer expectations
  • developing new products
  • travel distribution and working with the travel trade
  • digital channels and online booking
  • responsible tourism practices: net zero, sustainability and accessible / inclusive
  • legislation
  • marketing advice and opportunities
  • calendar of events, training and development opportunities

The Business Support Hub beta website will launch this spring. When it does, we’ll be referring to it as our “beta” website because it will only be at the start of its journey. We’ll have more work to do to develop further content and features once the website is live. All of which will be informed by industry feedback and continuous user testing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working in hospitality.

Listening to the industry

We’re currently liaising directly with our partners, sector and industry groups to ensure we’re complementing what they offer to businesses and developing content that will work for tourism and event businesses.

Most recently we’ve spoken with the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), Scottish Agritourism and British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BH&HPA) – introducing them to what we’re doing on the Business Support Hub. We’ll shortly be talking to Scotland Food & Drink.

How can you get involved?

We want the Business Support Hub to be the go-to place for tourism and events advice and support. To do that, we need your help.

From the end of January, we want to start testing what has been developed so far with you – our users. Joining our user panel gives you the opportunity to shape the development of the Business Support Hub website.

As part of the panel, you'll get to test, view and feedback on what is being created to help us make sure it best meets the needs of businesses. This is your chance to help shape the support we provide tourism and event businesses.

Join the user panel

Related links

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