What's included in this update?
Find out about our recent activity to support tourism recovery for Dundee and Angus. From industry support to new campaigns and PR activity, read on for the latest tourism updates.
Article published 22/07/2022
Caroline Warbuton, Regional Director, VisitScotland
Tourism businesses and operators across Dundee and Angus are experiencing their first full season without restrictions since 2019.
It has been fantastic to see visitors returning across the region with most businesses fully open once more, and many offering new products and experiences such as Xplore Discover Dundee open-top bus tour and new visitor centre at Arbikie Distillery.
On a personal note, I have been enjoying getting out and about meeting partners and businesses in person again including at our Dundee industry networking event in May, our first since the pandemic with Dundee Tourism Leadership Group.
The return of events across the region has been a welcome sight, providing that buzz and social interaction we have all missed so much. From Dundee Summer Sessions to Dandelion Unexpected Gardens to celebrating Scotland’s Year of Stories.
Despite new challenges, the outlook for tourism in Dundee and Angus is looking more positive than it has been and we remain committed to working closely with our partners and industry to rebuild this vital part of the region’s economy. All our activity is delivered hand-in-hand with our partners. We continue to work closely with Dundee City and Angus councils, Angus Tourism Cooperative, Dundee Tourism Leadership Group and other groups and businesses in the region.
Through our Destination & Sector Marketing Fund, we have supported major marketing campaigns by Visit Dundee and Visit Angus, which together with our own UK and international activity are helping to ensure our region is front of mind when visitors are choosing a destination.
Dundee and Angus will continue to be in the spotlight this summer with the Dundee Beanotown Hollywood sign currently making headlines around the world, the ongoing 650th anniversary celebrations at Glamis Castle and the upcoming new 360-degree observation deck at Discovery Point.
One of our key priorities over the last year has been to rebuild international demand. In March, we launched the second phase of our global marketing campaign Scotland is Calling featuring local landmarks, meanwhile in April a number of local businesses attended our Discover Scotland travel trade event along with the partnership of local authorities who market the region to travel industry under the banner of Scotland’s Tay Country.
It's important to us that this recovery is sustainable. From encouraging both locals and visitors to enjoy Scotland responsibly through our "Keep Scotland Unspoiled" visitor management campaign to highlighting the work of communities such as Lunan Bay Community Partnership and East Haven Together in Angus who are working together to manage their much-loved beaches.
The impact of tourism and events spreads far beyond the industry itself – it benefits our economy, our community and our wellbeing.
Here’s to a successful summer season in Scotland’s sunniest region. Do remember that there is a wealth of information available to support your business on this website and do get in touch with our local VisitScotland team if you need advice. We would love to hear from you.
Summer of Golf
It’s all about golf this summer, with five international golf events in as many weeks. These are closely followed by the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (29 September – 2 October), which will be played at the Championship Course at Carnoustie, the Old Course at St Andrews, and Kingsbarns. It's the longest running European Tour sponsor and the only professional championship to be played annually on three of Scotland’s top courses. Find out more about the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Last week we had a team of volunteers from across VisitScotland working at our Scotland Home of Golf stand at The 150th Open in St Andrews. This provided us with the perfect opportunity to speak to golf fans from across the world and share our enthusiasm for the many things to see and do across Scotland.
Read my blog on LinkedIn, where I share my thoughts on the importance of this summer of golf to the region and the importance of golf tourism more widely to Scotland’s visitor economy.
Marketing featuring Dundee and Angus
VisitScotland email marketing
Our email marketing team continue to issue a series of dedicated emails to our global customer database across multiple languages. Here are a few images of some of the most recent emails featuring both Dundee and Angus.
Dundee
Joint family campaign with ScotRail and Beano
In April 2022, we teamed up with ScotRail and Beano for the first time to promote family holidays and day trips across the country. The two-year campaign aims to use the cross-generational appeal of one of the UK’s best-loved comics and ScotRail’s Kids for a Quid deal, to promote sustainable travel as part of Scottish tourism’s recovery.
A special landing page – visitscotland.com/beano – has been created with Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie highlighting places to visit in each of Scotland’s seven cities - including Dundee and dog-friendly days out.
The campaign will target UK families through digital and print marketing to promote attractions across Scotland. Find out more.
Working with LoganAir
We've supported LoganAir in the development of a travel itinerary for an influencer they were working with – Kaylie, The girl with the red bob - who visited Dundee from 14 - 15 April. You can follow Kaylie on Instagram.
Angus
Scotland is Calling
In March 2022, we launched the second phase of our global marketing campaign, Scotland Is Calling. This £8.5 million campaign has been designed to support Scotland's tourism sector recovery, by increasing the momentum to ensure that Scotland is front of mind for visitors as a destination of choice. We re-designed this new activity in response to consumer research, and made emotional drivers a key focus of our content. Corrie Fee and Glamis Castle in Angus were among the imagery used within the campaign.
Scotland is Calling activity featuring both Dundee and Angus
Take a look at these two fantastic articles with the The Times and Sunday Times - "Power of Scotland: wonders await north of the border" featuring the region and a Stylist article featuring Dr Kirsty Black of Arbikie Distillery.
What's on VisitScotland.com?
- 43 top ideas for a family day out in Scotland this summer featuring Charleston Fruit Farm in Angus and Camperdown Wildlife Centre in Dundee.
- 11 places in Scotland you must visit in 2022 featuring Tay Country.
- 10 reasons why you should visit Scotland in 2022 - which highlighted the RRS Discovery, Sleeperz Hotel in Dundee, Newton Farm Holidays and Aribikie Distillery in Angus.
- 21 arts & culture experiences on Scotland’s East Coast - featuring V&A Dundee, Dundee Contemporary Arts, McManus Art Gallery & Museum, Dundee Rep, Arbroath Abbey, Hospitalfield House and the House of Dun in Angus.
- 20 fascinating historic places to enjoy in Scotland featuring McManus Art Gallery & Museum, V&A Dundee and Glamis Castle.
- Where to see highland cows in Scotland featuring Glamis Castle and The Angus Show.
- Fantastic arts and culture events in 2022 / 23 featuring Bonfest in Kirriemuir, Angus.
- 8 cool neighbourhoods in Scotland’s cities to call home featuring Dundee and mentioning businesses across the city.
- 11 traditional Scottish for dishes to try featuring Bridgeview Station Restaurant in Dundee.
- LGBTQ+ friendly bars & restaurants in Scotland to enjoy - featuring Salty Dog, Kandy Bar and Pout Nightclub in Dundee.
PR coverage for Dundee and Angus
Corporate press activity
Our corporate PR team work closely with Scottish and UK media to raise awareness of VisitScotland’s work to promote Scotland and both regions - Dundee and Angus to visitors and support for industry. Highlights include:
- Interviews with Caroline Warburton to mark the start of the season with The Courier, Tay FM and STV on the importance of tourism to the region’s economy and appeal for residents to continue to support local businesses this summer as they recover from COVID-19.
- Our activity to rebuild international visitor demand in Dundee and Angus at our DiscoverScotland travel trade event attended by several local businesses including Dundee Heritage Trust, Glen Clova Hotel, Turin Castle and Ogilvy Spirits.
- Announcement of a two-year marketing campaign in April with ScotRail and Beano to promote ScotRail "Kids for a Quid" train tickets and family friendly days out across Scotland’s cities including Dundee.
- EventScotland funding announcements to support events in Angus (Kirriemuir Show, Beer & Berries Festival and The Forfar Witches Story for a New Generation) and Dundee (Dundee Scotland Re:Design Fashion Festival and Summer (Bash) Street Festival).
- Launch of our annual agritourism census in partnership with Scottish Agritourism to help build a better understanding of what support is required to grow this important sector in Angus.
- Promoting Angus as a year-round golf destination and Dundee as an ideal base for golf tourists in an op-ed from Caroline Warburton oped in The Courier in the lead up to The 150th Open in St Andrews.
Consumer PR
Our Consumer PR team work closely with publications across the globe to share all that Scotland, Dundee and Angus has to offer. Here's a few examples of coverage over the past few months.
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Angus
Glamis Castle in Angus was featured in "Yours" magazine, in an article on Shakespeare connections around the writer’s birthday. Reach 221,000.
Dundee
- Following a virtual event we organised back in March, Lonely Planet France published an article on the UNESCO Trail which included Dundee. Take a look at the coverage on the Lonely Planet website.
- We hosted German journalists in March, which resulted in mention of Dundee within "Couch" magazine on "The best destinations to explore by bike", highlighting The Dundee Cycling Hub and Dundee’s status as UNESCO City of Design.
- A major Scotland touring feature in the German women’s magazines Echo der Frau & Frau aktuell included Dundee as a must-see place on the way north, highlighting both the V&A Dundee and the RRS Discovery.
An update from our Dundee iCentre
It's been a busy time recently in our iCentre in Dundee, with the lovely weather July has given us and with the visitors to the 150th Open over the water, in St Andrews.
In April, VisitScotland teamed up with the Dundee Tourism Leadership Group to invite front-line tourism, hospitality and retail staff to the first Creative Concierge event of the year.
The event welcomed 60 people along who heard about , and experienced for themselves, some of the exciting new things to see and do in the city this summer, and which they could share with their customers and guests. It was also an opportunity for businesses to hear about the service that the information team located in the V&A Dundee offers and a chance to meet some of the team.
We’d love to work with you, and our iCentres can offer a platform for your business to connect directly with visitors.
Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022
In April, nine businesses from Dundee and Angus joined us for Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022 to engage with tour operators, travel advisors and Destination Management Companies representing key global markets, to drive bookings from international visitors once again.
The event, part of our activity to rebuild international tourism demand and support the country's ambition to be a leading destination for responsible tourism, saw over 324 Scottish businesses engaged with 298 international tour operators and travel agents from 21 global markets.
If you're interested in joining us at next year’s event, make sure you are signed up to our Tourism Insider newsletter.
Scotland's Year of Stories 2022
VisitScotland Destination & Sector Marketing fund
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Angus Council
Angus Council delivered a new Visit Angus campaign - "The Angus Tour – Adventure designed by you" throughout autumn and winter 2021 / 22, highlighting the variety and diversity of visitor experiences on offer from the glens to the coast, supporting local tourism and hospitality businesses.
