VisitScotland
VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation for Scotland, aims to market Scotland and its assets to all parts of the world. This includes promoting Scotland to those living in Scotland.
VisitScotland does this by:
- marketing Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- providing information to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- providing quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to industry
- working with partners to help the industry meet - and strive to exceed - visitors’ expectations
- developing a portfolio of events that deliver impact and international profile for Scotland
Support for businesses
Direct Support
VisitScotland provides a selection of business services on a range of quality and customer care related topics. These include:
- advisory visits
- going green
- mystery guest programmes
- quality assurance schemes
- welcome schemes
More information on direct support is available from VisitScotland
Online Self Service Support
VisitScotland is responsible for marketing Scotland to UK and overseas markets. In doing so it also provides businesses with opportunities to promote themselves directly to these markets through its advertising, such as:
- promotion in guides and on the VisitScotland website
- inclusion in specific campaigns
- sales missions
- events and exhibitions, including Business Tourism opportunities.
VisitScotland publishes information and analysis on Scotland's visitors, markets and tourism industry, drawn from its own extensive research activities. They also provide a range of marketing toolkits, guidance on tourist signposting and a calendar of businesses events across Scotland.
Other support services include:
- The Scottish Thistle Awards: celebrating and giving media coverage to businesses with excellent customer care, marketing and innovation in business
- Promotional opportunities aimed at Travel Trade such as the VisitScotland expo, an annual trade event with travel trade buyers from around the world
- Monthly industry ezine with news categorised by topic, region and date
Subscribe for the VisitScotland industry ezine
More information about online self support is available from VisitScotland
Financial Support
VisitScotland Growth Fund is available to constituted marketing groups of three or more tourism businesses and can provide support with 50% of approved total marketing costs - a minimum award of £5,000 to a maximum of £65,000.
Marketing activity should be new or a further development of current activity which will generate additional visitors to Scotland.
More information on financial support is available from VisitScotland