Scottish tourism and events businesses can book their place to connect with tour operators and travel agents from key international markets next year.
Registrations for the national tourism organisation’s Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022 virtual event opened today, December 1, providing an exclusive opportunity for Scottish businesses to promote Scotland as a destination and exhibit their products.
The latest consumer sentiment indicates that responsible tourism is a consideration for many travellers across the world, with nearly two thirds of visitors saying they considered sustainability and the environmental impact when planning future holidays.
Those saying they were comfortable using public transport within the destination, for example, had risen 10% to 61%, between December 2020 and September 2021.
VisitScotland’s virtual event programme takes place 5-7 April 2022 and will offer a mix of pre-scheduled and ad hoc meeting appointments between Scottish exhibitors and international buyers, on demand content and virtual experiences.
The focus of the event will be driven by new responsible product development by enabling Scottish businesses to showcase their commitment to make Scotland a leading destination for sustainable, accessible and inclusive tourism.
To complement this focus, the event programme will include round table panel discussions – discussing the opportunities and challenges of responsible tourism, promoting sustainable products and encouraging responsible product development.
The virtual event will cater to different time zones, thus making business meetings with buyers from international markets very accessible.
The Morlich campsite in the Cairngorms
International visitors are incredibly important to Scottish tourism and in 2019 there were 3.5 million overnight stays in the country, spending ÂŁ2.5 billion, which is 43% of the total overnight spend in Scotland.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: ‘Discover Scotland 2022 is part of VisitScotland’s activity to rebuild international tourism demand and support the country’s ambitions to be a leading destination for responsible tourism.
‘Scottish tourism will once again punch above its weight on the world stage and we need to leverage this reputation to bring new investment, new events, new air routes, and new visitors to help the industry recover and grow from the impacts of the pandemic.
‘Tourism is a force for good and makes Scotland richer, economically and socially, and without it Scotland would be a much poorer place.’
Businesses should visit www.visitscotland.com/discoverscotland and consult the FAQs when considering registration or contact discoverscotland@visitscotland.com to discuss eligibility and other development opportunities.
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