In many international markets, the travel trade – such as tour operators and travel agents – play a crucial role in providing holidaymakers with the information they need to chose a destination and plan their trip. The online travel businesses are also taking an increasingly large share of the market. Therefore, as well as direct-to-consumer marketing, VisitScotland has a comprehensive programme of activities to engage with the travel trade.  

These include:

• regular contact and partnerships with travel trade in each market,
• sales missions (in which VisitScotland enables Scottish tourism business to meet the overseas travel trade)
• participation in events, such as World Travel Market and our own Expo  which provide an opportunity to present Scottish tourism services to overseas buyers
• hosting fam trips and workshop events in Scotland
• training programmes, such as the well-established SCOTS programme, to increase the trade’s knowledge of Scotland and their ability to sell it to their customers

The key aims of these activities are to increase the inclusion of Scotland product & programmes within overseas operator portfolios, to increase distribution by working with wholesalers & tour operators, to extend awareness of Scotland as a destination and to encourage the trade to feature Scotland ahead of competitor destinations.

For more information on our International marketing activities and how you can be involved, please see our Marketing Campaigns section