Virtual travel trade event provides global platform to promote north-east
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The north-east area has been showcased to the world during a virtual travel trade event organised by VisitScotland.
Representatives from hotels, attractions and tours were among more than 20 tourism businesses from Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen who attended Scotland Reconnect 2021, which aimed to re-stablish connections with global tour operators and travel agents in vital international markets.
It saw more than 7000 pre-arranged business meetings take 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 the Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, Sandman Signature Hotel, Aberdeen; Candacraig, Strathdon; Dalriada Luxury Lodges, Stonehaven; Wild Discovery, Ballater and Lost Loch Spirits, Aboyne.
A total of 17 regional destination management organisations attended and there were 12 regional destination showcases, including VisitAberdeenshire – attended by almost 60 delegates – 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 1-2-1 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, so new digital platforms like Reconnect have been developed.
Jo Robinson, VisitScotland regional director, said: “This event has once again proven a great success at a time when reconnecting our tourism businesses from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire with tour operators and travel agents in vital international markets has never been so important.
“This last 12 months have been devastating for tourism across the world but hopefully as travel restrictions ease, we can begin to plan some brilliant new Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire-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 this 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.”
VisitAberdeenshire CEO Chris Foy said: “Scotland Reconnect provided an opportunity for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire’s travel trade-ready businesses to regroup with new and existing contacts to pitch their products for 2022.
"VisitAberdeenshire was pleased to be a key part of the Scotland Reconnect event, promoting the very best the region has to offer to influential national and international buyers.”
