Grant funding is available for Aberdeenshire-based SMEs to attend VisitScotland Connect 2025 on 9 & 10 April.
After a successful pilot year, Aberdeenshire Council has allocated grant funding for 15 SMEs to attend VisitScotland Connect 2025. The aim of this grant is to enable SMEs to access new markets and enhance the travel trade experiences offering in Aberdeenshire. VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland are inviting eligible businesses to apply.
VisitScotland’s flagship travel trade event, VisitScotland Connect, is returning to the P&J Live, Aberdeen on 9 - 10 April 2025 for a third consecutive year.
The event is a unique opportunity to grow the North-east’s share of global travel, providing a platform for local tourism businesses to meet with tour operators and travel buyers in person, under one roof.
The grant from Aberdeenshire Council will cover the cost of one day attendance at VisitScotland Connect as a supplier.
Applications will be accepted until 5pm on Monday 25 November. Please read on to find out if you are eligible and how to apply.
How to apply
To be considered for funding, businesses must submit their application to VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland using the link below.
Click here to apply
Successful businesses must meet the eligibility criteria and will be approved by VisitScotland and Aberdeenshire Council. Grant funding will be awarded in December 2024.
Applications will close at 5pm, Monday 25 November 2024.
Please check that you are eligible to apply in the next section.
Eligibility criteria
Eligible businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Aberdeenshire-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Visitor attraction or experience provider offering a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates¹
- Cannot have attended an "in person" VisitScotland Connect or VisitScotland Expo event on more than one previous occasion. Businesses are however eligible if they have participated in a virutal event (Scotland Reconnect or Discover Scotland)
- Commit to attending VisitScotland Connect on either Wednesday 9th or Thursday 10th April.² Your attendance date will be agreed with VisitScotland in advance
- Commit to working on diary management to achieve 80% confirmed meetings two weeks prior to the event³
- Commit to the Travel Trade support programme delivered by VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland⁴
- Commit to complete post-event surveys from VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland
- Businesses must have a trade listing on VisitScotland's Travel Trade website*
¹ If you are not currently offering a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates, and/or have a trade listing with VisitScotland, we would still encourage you to apply. VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland will work with you via the support programme to be travel trade ready before the event.
² Eligible businesses that wish to attend both days can still apply but will need to meet the additional costs for the second day's attendance themselves.
³ Meeting diaries for VisitScotland Connect 2025 will open in February 2025. VisitScotland and VisitAberdeenshire will provide advice and support to businesses to help fill meeting diaries in advance of the event.
⁴ Businesses who have attended a Travel Trade Masterclass in the past two years are not required to attend the workshop unless they feel it necessary.
Travel Trade support programme
VisitAberdeenshire and VisitScotland will provide support with your application for VisitScotland Connect 2025 and help you prepare in the lead up to the event. The programme of support is designed to ensure that businesses are travel trade ready.
Being travel trade ready means that a business:
- has an understanding of working with the travel trade
- offers a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates
The Travel Trade support programme will consist of the following:
- Travel Trade Masterclass, 1 day workshop delivered by VisitAberdeenshire (21st January 2025)
- VisitScotland Connect pre-event webinar (6th February 2025)
- 1-2-1 support where required on:
- Listing your product on VisitScotland's trade portal
- Developing your product information sheet and trade pricing
- Developing your sales pitch
- Developing your Climate Action Plan
- Managing your VisitScotland Connect meeting diary
About VisitScotland Connect 2025
VisitScotland Connect 2025 is Scotland’s largest business-to-business travel trade event and it is returning to Aberdeen for a third year on 9 and 10 April 2025.
Tourism businesses with travel trade bookable products have the opportunity to connect and engage with international and UK travel trade buyers through a workshop-style event.