Let's Talk Travel Trade: Edition 7

Welcome to Edition 7 of our LinkedIn newsletter where we have lots to discuss for the month of October. As the air cools and the leaves paint the British landscapes in vibrant hues of reds, oranges, and yellows, tourism in the UK and Ireland begins to slow down ahead of the colder winter months but we still have lots to update our customers and followers on this month.

In this edition, we will discuss VisitScotland’s “Make a Day of It” campaign in collaboration with VisitAberdeenshire, encouraging visitation to the wonderful city of Aberdeen. Our Operations Director, Jacqui also attended the SDMA Autumn meeting at Barony Castle in Peebles. The SDMA is the officially recognised body for tour operators and destination management companies based in Scotland. Jacqui also enjoyed a visit to Wales organised by UK Inbound and Visit Wales where she enjoyed some sightseeing and networking opportunities.

October is one of the most beautiful months to visit Scotland with many enchanting locations where you can view the Scottish landscapes in all their Autumnal glory. We will explore this and other autumn events which happened in Scotland during October.

“Make a Day of It” and Visit Aberdeen

VisitScotland has partnered up with VisitAberdeenshire with a marketing campaign to encourage people local to North-East Scotland to “make a day of it” and visit the stunning city of Aberdeen. The “Make a Day of It” campaign is aimed at encouraging people to explore Aberdeen further beyond a shopping trip or a lunch stop and set aside a full day to engage in the many activities and attractions in the city. The campaign is supported by Aberdeen City Council and will include four waves of promotions for Aberdeen, spanning from 2023 to 2025. If you are planning a visit to the Granite City, check out our picks for the city’s must-visit attractions here.

Scottish Destination Management Association Autumn Meeting

Our Operations Director, Jacqui attended the SDMA Autumn meeting held at the Barony Castle Hotel in Peebles.? The SDMA is the officially recognised and constituted Association for Scottish-based tour operators and destination management companies, and its aims are:

·?To ensure that visitors to Scotland receive the best professional service from the travel trade

·?To represent the voice of tour operators and DMCs to the wider tourism industry, including to the Scottish Tourism Alliance

·?To develop and promote close working relationships with other stakeholders in Scottish Tourism, including accommodation and transport providers and visitor attractions.

·?To promote best practice and continuous improvement among members.

At the meeting presentations were provided by representatives from Trees for Life & Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, South of Scotland Destination Alliance, Visit Scotland, STA (Scottish Tourism Alliance) and Caledonian MacBrayne.? Of particular interest was the SSDA presentation about tourism in the South of Scotland where David Hope-Jones (CEO) spoke about their campaign ‘Scotland Starts Here’ which aims to promote the South of Scotland as a holiday destination and provides details of accommodation, attractions, sample itineraries etc.? He also spoke about the Kirkpatrick C2C, South of Scotland’s Coast to Coast cycling route, which celebrates Scotland’s rich history of innovation and the South’s key role in the creation of the bicycle. The on-road route offers 250 miles of uninterrupted joy for experienced cyclists from Stranraer on the west coast to Eyemouth on the east coast, passing through many of the South's villages and towns.? Visit Scotland provided some useful statistics on tourism visitors in 2022 and discussed the return of Chinese market to Scotland as we look ahead to 2024.? Calmac gave us an update on the roll-out of their e-ticketing platform.?

?After the official business had ended we then enjoyed a networking lunch with representatives from local tourism business including Cringletie House Hotel, The Moffat Distillery, Go Tweed Valley, Beirhope Alpacas, Crawick Multiverse and the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum plus many more.

?On the way to Peebles Jacqui stopped off for a visit to Rosslyn Chapel and on the way home she popped in for a show round at Cringletie House Hotel.? Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. The beauty of its setting, in rural Midlothian, and the mysterious symbolism of its ornate stonework have inspired, attracted, and intrigued writers, artists and visitors ever since.? Cringletie is an historic 28-acre estate comprising hotel, restaurant and gardens in the famously scenic Scottish?Borders conveniently located just 35 minutes from the great city of Edinburgh.

Autumn in Scotland

As we say goodbye to another glorious Scottish summer, we begin to marvel at the palette of fiery reds, warm ochres, and burnt oranges that paint our stunning landscapes. Scotland is one of the most beautiful countries to visit during the Autumn months with many countryside locations becoming a symphony of colour and the peaceful surfaces of our many lochs perfectly reflecting the vibrant mosaic of majestic trees and fallen leaves, creating a visual spectacle that one would be lucky to behold. Whether it's the quaint village of Killiecrankie or a stroll through Kelvingrove Park in the heart of Glasgow City, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Scotland this Autumn. For some information on the most enchanting locations to visit in Scotland, click here.

Halloween Events

Halloween in Scotland is a spirited and captivating affair which has a range of spooktacular events to suit the whole family. One of the most iconic Halloween events is the Samhuinn Fire Festival in Edinburgh. “Samhain” is an ancient Gaelic festival which marks the end of the harvest season and celebrates the beginning of winter. The Samhuinn Fire Festival incorporates a mesmerising procession of mythical creatures, fire dancers, and drummers weaving through the cobbled streets of the capital city, reenacting the age-old tales of the battles between summer and winter. A popular family friendly Halloween event is pumpkin picking and in Scotland, there is certainly no shortage of pumpkin patches with hundreds popping up across the countryside in October. One of the most popular pumpkin patches is Arnprior Pumpkin Farm – Scotland’s original pumpkin patch. Here, visitors can stroll through the lush pumpkin patches, choosing from a wide variety of pumpkins in different shapes, sizes, and even colours. It’s a great way to embrace the autumn season and is the perfect day out for both children and adults. Afterwards, head home and use your pumpkins for carving, decorating, or making delicious pumpkin pie or soup!

Discover Wales FAM Trip and Workshop in Southern Wales

Our Operations Director, Jacqui recently visited Wales on a trip organised by UK Inbound and Visit Wales. The trip was an enjoyable sightseeing and networking trip where Jacqui and her group visited iconic Welsh attractions such as Cardiff Castle, Hensol Castle Distillery, Rhondda Heritage Park Coal Mining Experience, and Penderyn Distillery. She was also afforded the opportunity to create connections with South Wales suppliers at the workshop which was hosted by UK Inbound and Visit Wales. The workshop featured interesting speeches from UK Inbound CEO Joss Croft and Dawn Bowden, the Deputy Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, presentations from Visit Britain outlined the tourism statistics and provided useful information on which markets to be paying attention to. Jacqui then enjoyed 16 face-to-face appointments with Welsh suppliers including hotels and tourist attractions. All in all, a very successful trip which you can read more about here.

We are now looking forward to November, set to be a very busy month as we continue to take enquiries from tourists looking to spend a winter in Scotland, visiting our many bustling Christmas markets and taking advantage of the plenty Christmas shopping opportunities we have on offer here. Keep an eye out for next month’s newsletter to stay up to date on November’s industry and company news!

Best of Scotland Holidays are a highly knowledgeable destination management company based in the UK and Ireland with over 40 years experience in the travel trade. Our clients are at the forefront of everything we do and we are committed to creating travel experiences of a lifetime!

Learn more about what we do and how we do it below.