Caithness and Sutherland tourism group takes part in virtual event
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Representatives from Venture North were among those from the Highlands taking part in a virtual travel trade event aimed at reconnecting global tourism.
Around 40 Highland tourism businesses – hotels, attractions and tours – took part in the second successful virtual event.
The Scotland Reconnect 2021 event – organised and run by VisitScotland – took place at the end of April and saw over 7000 pre-arranged business meetings taking place over the three days. Almost 390 buyers from 26 countries connected online with around 300 Scottish suppliers for business meetings aimed at booking and creating tour packages for future visitors. Forty-one of the buyers and 61 of the exhibitors were new to working with VisitScotland on a travel trade event of this kind.
Among those attending from the region were Venture North, Cruise Loch Ness, the Grant Arms Hotel at Grantown-on-Spey, the Priory Hotel at Beauly, Armadale Castle, Gardens and Museum on Skye, Cawdor Castle Ltd, Achnagairn Estate and Inverness Custom Tours.
A total of 17 regional destination management organisations attended and there were also 12 regional destination showcases, including Visit Inverness Loch Ness, sharing with buyers what makes Scotland and its regions so unique, including their landscape, history, food and drink, culture and warm welcome.
Scotland Reconnect 2021 followed the success of a similar pilot event in November – the first of its kind to be delivered by the national tourism organisation. It exclusively promotes Scotland and enables Scottish businesses to connect with buyers from around the globe digitally, helping the recovery of the country’s tourism industry through product development and contracting for the end of 2021 and into 2022.
Around 600 delegates attended each day and took part in one-to-one meetings, as well as round table discussions on the latest issues affecting world travel and tourism. There was a chance to hear about new tourism product offerings, trends like agritourism and adventure tourism and VisitScotland’s drive towards responsible tourism.
Buyers from the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Australia and Brazil all attended the virtual event, as well as London-based inbound operators representing the Japanese and Chinese markets.
Events, including VisitScotland’s annual Expo travel trade showcase and programmes of business development missions, have long been critical platforms for facilitating these connections but rendered impossible by Covid-19 restrictions this year, new digital platforms like Reconnect have been developed.
Chris Taylor, regional leadership director, VisitScotland, said: “This event has once again proven a great success at a time when reconnecting our tourism businesses from across the Highlands with tour operators and travel agents in vital international markets has never been so important.
“This last 12 months has been devastating for tourism across the world but hopefully as travel restrictions ease, we can begin to plan some brilliant new Highland-based programmes, products and itineraries for our international operators.
“I understand some fantastic and very valuable new connections have been made during the many 1-2-1 Scotland Reconnect appointments and I hope our buyers were both inspired and informed about our unique area through the regional destination showcases and panelist sessions.
“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. Tourism makes Scotland richer, economically and socially and without it, Scotland would be a much poorer place.”
Russell Murray, business development manager, Wilderness Scotland (Aviemore): “Attending the Scotland Reconnect event this year formed a key part of our trade strategy by enabling us to get back in front of international buyers and rekindle many of those travel trade relationships that will be central to our company's restart this and next season.
“Being a virtual event this year and by splitting our appointment schedule amongst the senior trade team at Wilderness Scotland meant no shortage of meetings with key buyers and all from the comfort and convenience of your own home.”
Laura DeMaio, supplier relations and product development manager at Great Value Vacations, said: “Scotland Reconnect has provided me with an excellent opportunity to meet with our existing, as well as key potential partners – and the timing could not have been any better this year.
“As we appear to be nearing the time when we can send our travelers back to Scotland, my 1-2-1 meetings have been incredibly helpful in terms of securing rates for 2022, learning what is happening in all parts of the destination and fully understanding how eager and ready Scotland is to welcome us back.
“While meeting in person is always preferable, VisitScotland has perfected all aspects of the virtual platform – including the registration and pre-conference communication process, the resources provided before and during, and with the actual execution of the program and the meetings.”
