This update includes:
Welcome to the first regional update of the year. In this update, we look back at our key activity in the last quarter of 2022. Our industry continues to adjust to tough new financial circumstances and it's clear that these will continue to impact in the year ahead. But there is much to build on and we remain committed to doing what we can to support the industry, whether that’s bringing people to Scotland, offering support and guidance to businesses, or creating opportunities for growth and investment.
Our marketing, funding and business support activities are all aimed at building on these shoots of recovery to support the responsible growth of our industry.
It has been a busy period in Ayrshire & Arran – from the launch of our film guide featuring Culzean Castle and Galston, to influencer activity with The Adventure Addicts testing out the new GoPro 11 camera with a trip to Arran, along with a separate visit to the island by influencers Flying the Nest, in partnership with CalMac Ferries. We have also been working with partners in the Ayrshire and Arran region to develop a new Regional Visitor Economy Strategy.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at the Ayrshire & Arran Tourism Conference at the Carlton Hotel, Prestwick that we are supporting alongside the RAD Hotel Group and Scottish Enterprise on Wednesday 15 March.
Find out more in this update on how our work is helping to support the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, for Scotland to be a world leader in 21st century tourism.
In November, we launched our updated Set in Scotland film guide. The 52-page guide, exploring big-screen locations across Scotland, includes more than 150 films and features five films shot in Ayrshire and Arran: The Wicker Man, The Governess, The Queen, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and The Flying Scotsman. Download the Set in Scotland guide.
Between October and November, we worked on a £60,000 publishing partnership with The Guardian to promote hidden gems and unique heritage of the Highlands and Islands. Arran was showcased in articles covering winter experiences, slow adventure, wildlife, history and ancient kings.
Check out new content added to visitscotland.com featuring Ayrshire & Arran:
This campaign highlights 'kids for a quid' tickets with Scotrail and entry to participating attractions in Ayrshire & Arran. Running until the end of March, check out the toolkit on how you can submit an offer to attract more visitors.
As part of our Year of Stories activity, we partnered wth News UK (The Scottish Sun) and Reach PLC (Daily Record) to showcase storytelling attractions across national and regional print and online articles. Coverage across these publications featured:
1.64 million reach
Number of times Ayrshire & Arran content reached people on their social channels
83,000 engagements
Number of reactions, likes, comments, shares and saves on Ayrshire & Arran posts
443,000 reach
Top performing post by reach was a sunset shot of Arran on Facebook
Our Corporate PR team works closely with Scottish and UK media to raise awareness of our work to promote Scotland, Ayrshire & Arran to visitors and support for the industry.
Some of the highlights from our Corporate PR team includes:
The Sunday Herald featured the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in a round-up of the "best places in Scotland to celebrate Halloween".
After a few years of relationship building, our PR team's partnership activity with GoPro US Advocate went live in October. The partnership included a content creator trip to align with the launch of the new Go Pro 11 camera. Scotland was the first destination chosen for the launch.
The aim was to showcase Scotland to a younger, adventure-focused audience in the west coast of the US. Content creators "The Adventure Addicts" produced content on their own social channels which have 150,000 followers collectively. Their content was also shared on GoPro global channels and regional channels which collectively can reach 22.1 million social media users.
Arran was one of the main destinations for The Adventure Addicts, with content including Goatfell and Balmichael Glamping.
In October, two Chinese publications, with a combined reach of over 127 million readers, featured Arran in a story highlighting the unique experiences Scotland offers, with a focus on responsible travel.
Although there was a steady reduction in the number of visitors coming to Arran in the winter months, our iCentre staff in Brodick were delighted to see an increase in residents coming to the store to do their Christmas shopping. As well as participating in the first Shop Arran weekend in November since the pandemic, the iCentre also helped to promote events including:
The team are looking forward to welcoming visitors back for the spring and summer seasons.
"All seasons in a day" - Image taken by our Brodick iCentre staff of the view across Brodick Bay to Goatfell
Many visitors have been coming to Arran since childhood and share their fond memories with us. They also explain how they have introduced their children and grandchildren to the island so that each new generation can create special memories too.
Good luck to The Ormidale Hotel and Auchrannie Resort, Thistle Award finalists from Ayrshire & Arran.
All regional winners will go on to compete at the Scottish Thistle Awards National Final on 9 February 2023 at Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Regional Thistle Winners. Image credit - Chris Watt Photography
You can browse all the 2022/2023 National Finalists on the Scottish Thistle Awards website.
We're delighted to be supporting the Ayrshire & Arran Tourism Conference on Wednesday 15 March. Delivered by the Ayrshire & Arran Destination Alliance, the conference will take place at the Carlton Hotel in Prestwick.
The full day industry event is specifically for the hospitality and tourism sector and is a unique opportunity to come together, learn and network with others.
Ivan McKee MSP - Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise will give a ministerial address. Other speakers include:
The event is free to AADA members and £25 for non-members. There is also a extra 10% early bird discount when you book by 15 February.
