While our international visitors provide significant revenue and potential for growth, it is often difficult for individual businesses alone to achieve international reach in their marketing efforts and build a strong enough profile to attract visitors. The following are some tips on how you might be able to exploit the potential from our international markets

Research

• Identify your unique selling points - define what makes your product or service special
• Assess the information on international markets available in the international market research section and from other sources
• Identify which markets’ needs and wants have the best fit with your business, assessing things such as the practicalities involved in visitors reaching you

Collaborative Marketing

• Assess the opportunities offered by VisitScotland campaigns targeting consumers and the trade in terms of your product and resources
• Benefit from VisitScotland market expertise and international marketing opportunities, including multi-lingual websites, e-newsletters and campaigns.
• In markets where the travel trade play a significant role, become involved with VisitScotland sales missions, trade buyer shows and other trade focussed activities.
• Provide special deals which we can offer to the travel trade through our bookingscotland.com website
• Other ways to become involved include providing special offers for campaigns, websites and promotions or assisting our PR and travel trade activities by hosting buyers or journalists during fam trips

Your Product / Service

• Ensure that you are providing value for money - good quality products and services are essential for travellers of all budgets. Check what your local and international competitors are offering and charging for similar products. The internet makes this easy to do.
• Food and drink - check whether your target markets have special requirements or preferences, e.g. for meal times.
• Consider partnership working with other businesses in your area or sector. Cross-selling provides opportunities to keep and increase travellers’ spend within your area.
• Try to provide a distinctly Scottish experience – even little touches will be appreciated and will enhance visitors’ enjoyment of their trip
• Be friendly and welcoming - Scottish people have a good reputation abroad and for many visitors, meeting our friendly people is a highlight of their trip
• Recognise that international visitors may have less knowledge about your area and provide lots of advice and recommendations on what to see and do
• Language provision - find out whether travellers from your target countries need or prefer information in their language and if so, try to accommodate this. For example, learn some handy phrases or prepare some information in those languages

Click here for more information on our marketing campaigns and how you can become involved

Click here for more information on our international markets