Virtual trade event plans to boost Covid-hit tourism industry in Scotland
HUNDREDS of Scottish tourism businesses will connect with global tourism operators and travel agents in a virtual trade event this spring.
Scotland Reconnect 2021, organised by the national tourism organisation Visitscotland, will take place on April 27-29, following a successful digital pilot event in November.
The virtual event recognises the need for Scotland’s tourism businesses to maintain contact throughout Covid-time with travel intermediaries around the globe, and begin to plan for a return of visitors.
During last year’s inaugural virtual trade event, several hundred Scottish tourism businesses took part in more than 5,000 meetings with international travel trade from 23 countries, aimed at creating tour packages for future visitors.
Countries represented at the online event included the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and Brazil, with London-based inbound operators representing the Japanese and Chinese markets.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of Visitscotland, said: “We are delighted to offer our tourism businesses the chance to plan for the future again with international markets, during the most difficult period they continue to face.
“Until we can run face-to-face business events, platforms like Scotland Reconnect are the next best thing. We hope it gives the industry confidence that engaging online can deliver for their businesses.
“We always knew that demand for Scotland has not diminished during the pandemic but this confirms what our intelligence has been telling us, the recovery will take time but we are as popular as ever as a destination.
“Engaging virtually serves two key functions – keeping Scotland at the forefront of people’s minds when international travel is permitted; and the potential for businesses to generate future bookings and create new revenue streams from digital experiences.
“We look forward to what we are confident will be another highly successful event.”
Prior to the pandemic, spending by tourists in Scotland generated about £10.5 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributed £4.1bn to Scottish GDP.
In 2020, Visitscotland’s annual Expo travel trade showcase and programmes of business development missions, which have long been critical platforms for facilitating connections, were rendered impossible by Covid restrictions.
The Scotland Reconnect 2020 virtual event – the first of its kind delivered by Visitscotland – was hailed a success by those who took part after 264 buyers from 23 countries connected online with 240 Scottish suppliers and gave tour operators and travel agents the opportunity to rebook visits that had had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.