VisitScotland: Connect – Fully Funded Places

VisitScotland will be hosting their annual Connect event on the 15th and 16th of April 2026. As part of Museum Futures, Museums Galleries Scotland are offering 12 fully funded places to attend one day of Connect at the SEC, Glasgow.   

This grant covers: 

• attendance to one day of the event 
• preparatory meeting with VisitScotland
• a meeting table with four chairs 
• one meeting diary 
• two passes  

Should you wish to attend a second day you will need to book this directly yourself. Travel and accommodation costs are not included. 

Museums and Galleries Scotland will be hosting a webinar on the 22nd of October at 2:30pm to discuss Connect and this opportunity. Register for this webinar here. 

This opportunity is available to Scottish Accredited and non-Accredited museums. There are 12 places available, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to those who fit the following criteria.  

1. Applicants must have completed and submitted our Organisational Health Checker by the closing date for applications.  
2. Applicant organisations must be based in Scotland. 
3. Applicants cannot have attended an in person VisitScotland Connect or VisitScotland Expo event on more than one occasion.  
4. Applicants must commit to working on diary management to achieve 80% confirmed meetings two weeks prior to the event. Meeting diaries for VisitScotland Connect 2026 open on 9 February 2026. MGS and VisitScotland will provide advice and support to businesses to help fill meeting diaries in advance of the event. 
5. Applicants must commit to completing post-event surveys from MGS and VisitScotland. 
6. Museum organisations must have a trade listing on the VisitScotland travel trade website. Thus, to be eligible you must currently be offering a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates. If you are still in the process of developing your trade ready product or experience, you may still apply, provided you are able to commit to a VisitScotland-run travel distribution programme prior to the event. 
7. An emphasis is placed on organisations that are new to the travel trade and would benefit most from attending this event. 
8. Applicants have confirmed with your organisation that you/they can cover the associated costs of attending the event.  

Connect is VisitScotland’s flagship travel-trade event, designed to create opportunities for Scottish businesses to engage with and showcase their product offering to tour operators from across the world, and help attract visitors to Scotland.  

The workshop-style event is an opportunity to engage with operators selling in markets across the globe, to promote destinations and products for inclusion in travel itineraries. The event has been praised for its importance in establishing connections, supporting businesses in their ambitions to internationalise, and the subsequent business potential it brings to Scotland’s valuable tourism industry.      

There are numerous benefits of working with the domestic and international travel trade. These include: 

• improving visitor management throughout the year by extending the season and growing business at times you might usually be quiet  
• lesser-known attractions and products can be promoted more easily, especially internationally  
• contracting business up to 24 months before a visitor arrives in Scotland  
• working with distribution partners across multiple visitor markets will broaden your customer base and make you less vulnerable to economic fluctuation 
• increasing your visitor reach beyond your own website and marketing budget capacity  
• building a regular stream of income from different sources by distributing through online travel agents, tour operators, destination management companies and travel advisors in addition to the direct business you receive 

Apply by completing this form by 8 December 

Successful applicants will be offered a place on 12 December 

Places must be accepted by 17 December