VisitAberdeenshire welcomes UKinbound, the UK’s premier travel trade convention

More than 300 travel trade buyers, tour operators and representatives from the UK’s largest attractions attended last month’s UKinbound Annual Convention, hosted by VisitAberdeenshire.

UKinbound is the trade association representing the UK’s inbound tourism sector.

VisitAberdeenshire successfully bid for the coveted tourism conference, with 321 delegates and 198 tourism businesses attending the tourism showcase making it one of the biggest ever.

The UKinbound conference was hosted at P&J Live, with keynote sessions from VisitBritain’s CEO Patricia Yates and TV personality and CEO of Traveleyes Amar Latif. Industry expert David Edwards of tourism market intelligence specialists Scattered Clouds provided useful insights and predicted future trends for the sector.

VisitAberdeenshire also welcomed local businesses to meet operators in a special showcase event, with influential buyers looking to secure future business.

As part of the two-day conference, BrewDog Ellon held a networking event and the annual UKinbound Gala Dinner and Awards for Excellence hosted by Northsound’s Lauren Mitchell at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom.

At the end of the two-day convention, VisitAberdeenshire curated and led familiarisation trips for buyers taking in the best of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire’s tourism and hospitality offering including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Peterhead Prison Museum and Fyvie Castle.

Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said “It was an absolute pleasure to bring our Annual Convention to Aberdeen for the very first time. The destination did a fantastic job hosting over 300 delegates, providing the ideal place to network and do business.”

Chris Foy, CEO VisitAberdeenshire, said: “Hosting an event like UKinbound emphasises the region’s growing reputation as a destination for international business events, while demonstrating the North-east tourism’s credentials to an influential audience.”

“Thank you to local businesses who supported with familiarisation visits and to those who attended the supplier showcase. Tourism businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are thinking smarter and continue to evolve amidst tricky operating conditions. We were pleased to provide a platform for the businesses in the region.”

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