Connecting with an international audience
Tourism businesses from across the country attended Scotland’s biggest business-to-business event for the travel trade.
Held at P&J Live in Aberdeen on 19 and 20 April, VisitScotland Connect gave Scottish businesses the chance to connect with the travel trade from around the globe to help attract visitors and rebuild Scotland’s valuable tourism and events industry.
There were more than 170 Scottish businesses who met with over 250 global tour operators, travel agents and destination management companies attending from 23 countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
More than 6,000 meetings took place, as well as a programme of day and evening networking opportunities.
While in Scotland, these international buyers also spent time travelling around the country to sample in-person the scenery, hospitality, produce and attractions, through a series of familiarisation (fam) trips, exploring the many regions, destinations, and experiences.
There were 109 buyers on the fam trip programme with the 13 trips showcasing 170 businesses and covering 20 regions.
They touched on all corners of Scotland taking in experiences like outdoor activities, iconic locations and landmarks, luxury experiences, island trips, food and drink, film and literature, farms and textiles, nature and wildlife and Scotland’s cities.