Making Scotland discoverable 365 days a year

Digital technology has led the way during the pandemic, with more people searching online when planning or thinking about a trip / holiday to Scotland. And in today’s environment, our visitors require real time information. 

Digital channels play a huge role with today’s holidaymakers – before, during and after they arrive in Scotland.   

Our marketing strategy is a very simple one: we want to make it as easy as possible for people to discover Scotland. We’re focused on using the channels we know our visitors will use, to speak to them directly and provide motivating messages to inspire them to visit Scotland.  

We’re making sure that Scotland is discoverable 365 days a year, using channels visitors are looking at and booking from.  

We need to be bold with our choice of channels to reach new and existing audiences. It’s the only way we can remain a top contender for global audiences in a very competitive tourism landscape.

What are our visitors looking for? 

Research for many years has told us that sustainable tourism is a key driver for visitors choosing a destination. 

Visitors from around the world are looking for responsible travel solutions and we need to ensure that these options in Scotland enhance the visitor’s trip, through creating enriching and memorable experiences in a sustainable way. 

It’s also about thinking differently on how we promote and deliver our product offering, and combining this into one united front, whereby we recognise that we’re all on this journey together.  

The way our visitors access information has changed, and we are responding to this by prioritising our digital information. 

As a result of reduced demand for our printed guides, coupled with our own ambitions to support our responsible efforts towards being net zero, it has been decided to stop printing regional and activity guides this year. 

We’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and supporting Scotland’s ambition towards net zero. Reducing our print portfolio will help support this ambition for Scotland to be recognised globally as a leader in this field.  

A warm welcome on the ground 

Our visitors can access up-to-date and engaging content about Scotland and its regions, through our consumer website, visitscotland.com, as well as social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Our digital activity is complemented by our team within our network of iCentres, providing expert knowledge and a warm welcome to visitors on the ground.  

Everyday our iCentre staff are inspiring the local community and visitors to rediscover the amazing experiences they can have on their doorsteps. We’ve also been making the most of the expert knowledge of our iCentre staff, through communicating with our visitors via Messenger, which is owned by Facebook, to aid our digital information provision. 

We’ll continue to work with our iCentre staff to develop new and innovative ways to share their unique resources and knowledge to visitors to Scotland. 

We’d love to work with you and can offer a platform for tourism businesses to connect directly with visitors. Get to know your local iCentre team. Feel free to pop in and say hello, we’d love to see you! 

Read more from our iCentre team and what they can do for you.