Meet our Assistant Market Development Manager

What is your role at VisitScotland?

I'm part of the Short Haul Market Development team as the Assistant Market Development Manager for the France and UK markets. We sit in the Business Development and Intermediary Marketing department, which connects Scotland’s tourism products and experiences with the distribution and booking channels our visitors rely on. 

Our department helps Scottish tourism businesses to understand and seize opportunities to promote their product offering(s). This can be through their own direct channels, or through intermediary channels - such as tour operators, travel agents, online travel agents (OTA's), airline vacation arms (e.g., British Airways and Emirates holidays), and Destination Management Companies (DMCs).

A core focus of my team is to position Scotland as a leading responsible tourism destination, for both domestic and international markets. We achieve this by engaging with key travel intermediaries; a critical audience, as more than half of international visitors use intermediaries to book part or all of their trip.

My role is also to help educate the Scottish tourism industry on the opportunities available to them in the France and UK markets. For example, I share knowledge on key trends and insights, visitor behaviour, distribution channels and effective routes to market.

The biggest attribute in this job is a genuine desire to create meaningful connections - with our intermediaries and our Scottish businesses - who all share a huge passion for Scotland.

Elise Compagnon

You were recently involved in VisitScotland Connect 2025, leading familiarisation trips. Can you share what they are, and why they're important?

Our fam trip programme brings Scotland to life, giving first-hand experiences and meaningful networking opportunities to domestic and international travel intermediaries. They are small, curated group tours offered to qualified buyers and planned by a dedicated team behind the scenes.

In 2025, we've had 13 themed trips across 21 regions, featuring over 170 tourism businesses— stretching from the Outer Hebrides to the Scottish Borders.

Each trip reflects our responsible tourism priorities, with themes like regional focus, meaningful and community experiences, active travel (walking, cycling, wildlife watching), and sustainable transport.

We take a dual-focus approach—supporting both Scottish businesses and intermediaries by targeting areas with capacity and connectivity, helping drive conversion and business growth. The results speak for themselves: fam trip participants have gone on to launch new programmes and open up fresh destinations for their customers.

VisitScotland Connect 2025 familiarisation trip with Lamlash Cruises to Holy Isle. Credit: VisitScotland / Rita Dong.

Finally, where have you enjoyed spending time in Scotland as a visitor in the past year?

Scotland never fails to amaze me and there are very few places I've not enjoyed visiting - from the Galloway Forrest Park to mainland Orkney.

I've always had a soft spot for islands and a recent trip to the Isle of Arran reminded me why. Although I've been many times, I was struck again by how much there is to see and do.

It really does pack everything that makes Scotland special into one place—dramatic landscapes, incredible local food and drink, rich history, and amazing wildlife. It’s no wonder it's often called “Scotland in miniature.” Its recent UNESCO Global Geopark status is not only recognition to the stunning beauty of the island but also its natural and cultural significance.

Some personal highlights from my trip included meeting the highland cows and new born lambs at Bellevue farm, a visit to the stunning Lagg distillery and a memorable boat trip to the serene Holy Isle. Should I mention it was for a fam trip?

Meeting the newborn lambs during a trip to Bellevue Farm Tours on Arran. Credit: VisitScotland / Elise Compagnon.