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Working with Visit Scotland

As part of our Talking Partnerships series of online events, we invited Gillian Learmonth, Senior Partnerships Manager, Graham Morrison, National Partnerships Executive and Noelle Campbell, Scottish Connections Manager from VisitScotland to present an overview of ways in which Scotland’s national tourism organisation can provide the museums and galleries sector with support, guidance, and insights. They also offered to create this blog for us which will highlight key points from the presentation, so we are able to share this with the wider sector.

As we move ahead in these unprecedented times, restrictions ease and the industry prepare to open their doors to visitors, we look to the future of tourism in Scotland. It is important we encourage domestic visitors to enjoy their visit in a responsible way and keep Scotland at the top of international visitor’s travel wish lists.

The VisitScotland team recently had the opportunity to share some of the work we do and how you can engage with us. We work closely with the tourism industry, supporting you with insights, marketing and business advice, to ensure we give visitors the best possible experience. Below you’ll find an overview of how you can engage with us and where to find the most up to date insights and information about our business support.

A responsible tourism approach:

A focus on sustainable growth that makes better places for people to live and visit, the whole of Scotland, enhancing the positive benefits of tourism for everyone. ​

There are three strands to our responsible tourism approach:

Sustainability – Environmental, Cultural and Economic

  • Environmental – looking after the assets that are so vital to Scotland’s brand by seeking to address the impacts of climate change and reducing harm to the natural and built environment.
  • Cultural – protecting our cultural heritage; our attractions, events and activities that make Scotland unique.
  • Economic – enabling good economic growth whilst ensuring progress is beneficial to everyone.
  • Inclusion- ensuring Scotland is a place for everyone by prioritising accessibility and inclusivity, so no one faces barriers to visiting our country.
  • Communities – connecting visitors and host communities meaningfully while working with local people to make sure they experience the benefits of tourism – economic, social and well-being.

To ensure Scotland is recognised globally as a responsible destination, we aim to play a leading role in the development of Scotland and are committed to protecting our culture, heritage and environment. We will do this through our marketing, advice, partnerships and the actions of our staff. We would encourage you to join us in this approach and have a range of advice and tools to help you do so.

Research & Insights​

Recent research has shown 24% of people want to go on holiday to protect their mental health, and from previous insights we know the value of day trips of the Scottish audience alone is worth almost £4.5billion (GBTS2019). Insights such as these highlight the great opportunity we have to welcome visitors back to our businesses.

We are very fortunate to have an inhouse team of research and insight experts at VisitScotland, who provide a wealth of information to aid our understanding of the impacts of the industry and our visitors. We have a dedicated section on our industry website, VisitScotland.org which gives access to a range of information, including the most up to date Coronavirus insights.

Promoting Scotland at Home and to the World​

As we begin to welcome back our domestic visitors and encourage our international audience to keep Scotland at the top of their travel wish list, we continue to inform and inspire visitors. Our inspiring content and practical tips to help visitors plan their trip are shared through our website, VisitScotland.com; digital engagement of visitors on our social media channels, our programme of enewsletters, as well as our promotional campaigns and PR opportunities.

You can find out more about our marketing campaigns, industry toolkits and partnership opportunities here.

We maintain an asset library, featuring images and video content that are available to use in your activity.

Advice & Support​

Supporting the growth of the Scottish tourism industry is a key focus for VisitScotland. Through our industry facing website VisitScotland.org webinars and tailored business advice, there are a number of ways in which we can help support the development and manage the ongoing sustainability of your business. Areas in which we can provide advice and support include but are not limited to:

  • Your digital presence – with research showing up to 80% of visitors book online, we know a strong digital presence is key to how you engage with visitors. We can provide guidance and advice on how to ensure you are making the most of your digital activities.
  • Delivering a quality experience – our world-renowned Quality Assurance Scheme provides visitors with the reassurance that you will offer them a safe, clean and welcoming visitor experience. It is also an effective business development tool for you as you seek to maintain and improve quality standards for years to come.
  • Targeting UK and International markets – we can support you to identify the best target audiences for your business and how best to capitalise on these – whether that is through product development, working with intermediaries or how to engage through our travel trade platforms.

We recognise tourism is a force for good, creating economic and social value in every corner of Scotland and enhancing the well-being of everyone who experiences it. The role that the museum and galleries sector plays is vital and we look forward to continuing to work together as we move forward.

If you would like to engage with us here at VisitScotland, please get in touch with us and we will direct your enquiry to the appropriate team:

Gillian Learmonth – Senior Partnerships Manager gillian.learmonth@visitscotland.com

Graham Morrison – National Partnerships Executive graham.morrison@visitscotland.com