One-year anniversary of the Business Support Programme

Article published 09/04/2026

Developing practical advice for businesses

We recently marked the first anniversary of our Business Support Programme, which continues to help Scottish tourism and events businesses to internationalise, grow, develop and connect with new audiences.  

As an economic growth agency, VisitScotland is growing the value of the visitor economy. Business and experience development is one of our strategic priorities. Over the past year, we’ve used our insight and feedback from the industry to develop content which offers practical advice that businesses can use.

Year one highlights

More than 80 specialised workshops and webinars have been delivered as part of the programme, equipping tourism and events businesses with deeper insight into travel distribution systems — from collaborating with tour operators and Online Travel Agents to adopting modern booking technologies and maximising opportunities for the events sector.  

Over 1,200 tourism and events businesses have taken part, gaining practical tools, templates and guidance designed to strengthen commercial resilience and support Scotland’s ambition to grow as a competitive, year-round destination. 

The Business Support Programme allows us to deliver sector-specific advice, including helping tourism and events businesses develop new products and visitor experiences, reaching new customers and markets.  

A total of 69 new businesses are attending this year’s VisitScotland Connect travel trade event in Glasgow after having been given support and advice enabling them to capitalise on the opportunity the event provides to explore new business opportunities and help grow their bottom line.

Our Business Support Hub

We understand how important peer-to-peer learning is, so we’ve been working directly with businesses and events to create a library of case studies which look at real challenges facing business and how they have responded.

Our online Business Support Hub is a key digital resource packed with tools and resources to help tourism and events businesses grow, adapt and thrive. This one-stop-shop offers advice and support, training and webinars to  help tourism and events businesses with everything from developing their digital channels to improving customer experience.   

Recent sessions have included a webinar on growing your tourism business, developing an inclusive business, adaptation and climate resilience in the tourism sector, shaping tourism responsibly, and preparing for travel trade shows. 

Find webinars to improve your business skills, browse tourism industry events or find out how to work with the travel trade to develop inspiring packages for potential visitors to Scotland.

You will find everything you need to improve and grow your tourism or events business on our Business Support Hub.

Our year-round, free-to-access business support programme is helping tourism and events businesses in Scotland to grow, develop and connect with new audiences and I’d like to encourage others to benefit from the support and advice on offer. Even taking 20 minutes to watch one of the webinars can make a real difference.

“Whether you’re a new business or looking to grow, this resource supports you at any stage - helping you improve, promote and reach the right customers for strong, year-round business. Businesses can tap into changing travel trends, capitalise on local investment projects and sector strengths and adapt their offer to reach new audiences.

“In tandem with this, VisitScotland also runs regional workshops and webinars across many topics, including real life case examples of how businesses have adapted to be resilient in ever changing operating conditions, yet delivering high quality of experience for visitors from near and far to enjoy.

Jill Walker, Director of Marketing at VisitScotland 