VisitAberdeenshire News - October 2024

We have won an award! In a high calibre field VisitAberdeenshire topped the chart of UK destination organisations at the 2024 UKinbound Awards for Excellence last week.

But there’s no time to rest upon laurels as we gear up for a busy autumn at VisitAberdeenshire. Our Northern Nights campaign goes live this month, the series of webinars, workshops and networking events ramps up as we head towards the Tourism Conference on 19 November, and preparation is underway for the seventh edition of the pioneering tourism business game changer programme after Christmas.

VisitAberdeenshire scoops prestigious UK tourism award.  

VisitAberdeenshire won the ‘Destination’ category at the prestigious UKinbound Awards for Excellence 2024, held at Liverpool Cathedral on Thursday 26 September.  Shortlisted alongside the destination organisations for Wales and for Bath & Bristol, following a vote by industry peers, VisitAberdeenshire was recognised by the independent judging panel for successful outcomes across a range of activity over the past year that have driven growth in the North-east visitor economy.

North-east Tourism Conference in association with Loganair

With the countdown on until the North-east Tourism Conference 2024, VisitAberdeenshire are pleased to share an inspiring and insightful line up, including Dame Evelyn Glennie, and VisitScotland’s new CEO, Vicki Miller. The programme will focus on three themes, ‘our visitors’, ‘our people and businesses’ and ‘our place’. It will also feature two fascinating breakout sessions: ‘Business Events’ and ‘Adventure & Outdoor tourism’. The conference will bring businesses and tourism individuals together to focus on how tourism in the North-east can thrive in 2025.

To buy your tickets and view the full line-up, click here.

There are still some sponsorship packages available along with exhibition space. For more information, contact Kayleigh.mcleish@visitabdn.com.

Applications for the 2025 Game Changer Programme are open

Applications are open for the 2025 Game Changer Programme for Tourism Businesses. Developed and offered in partnership by VisitAberdeenshire and Opportunity North East, it is designed to help grow your business. You will be supported to identify target markets, define consumer and customer demands and refine your offering to provide the services and experiences that visitors are looking for. You will be exposed to a range of management techniques and tools and will leave the programme with a growth plan to implement in your business.

The programme is relevant for all tourism and hospitality businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and is targeted at business owners or senior managers with authority to implement change. Highly rated by previous participants, it has been described as intense, challenging and fun. Your commitment will be to attend eight full-day sessions from mid January - end March.

To understand what’s involved, what you would learn, and what we’re looking for in applications, register for an online information session on Thursday 3 October, 4:15pm – 5pm.

To register for the online information session, click here.

To find out more about the Game Changer Programme and to apply, click here.

‘Northern Nights’ VisitAberdeenshire’s new winter campaign

VisitAberdeenshire's autumn and winter promotional campaign is due to launch in the coming weeks. Northern Nights celebrates the visitor experiences, including the promotion of our dark skies, stargazing, cosy nights in, as well as festivals and events across the region.

The campaign will target potential visitors in the rest of Scotland, northern England and the North-west, with ads pushing web traffic to a Northern Nights landing page on visitabdn.com.

In order for your business to be displayed on the campaign landing page, pleaselog into your business listing and select the Northern Nights tick box option. This will pull your listing through to the campaign landing page, alerting potential visitors to your winter offering. Please update your listing with details of your winter offering before the campaign launch date of Monday 14 October.

Similarly, if you're running an event and have a What's On listing, you can update this by ticking the 'Northern Nights' option, and this will also appear on the Northern Nights landing page.

We have created a 'Dark Skies toolkit' to help businesses make the most of this opportunity and our Tourism Development team are available if you would like to discuss your ideas and offerings by contacting industry@visitabdn.com.

Advertising Opportunities

We also have some paid advertising packages available to help your business make the most of this opportunity. To find out more about the advertising packages and to book your space contact Gemma Laing, Advertising Sales Executive on gemma.laing@visitabdn.com.

 Travel trade update

September saw the start of the trade show season and whilst we are delighted with the win at the UKinbound awards, we were also there for business. Travel Trade Executive, Alanna Fowler attended the UKinbound Convention in Liverpool, where she conducted appointments with key industry buyers. The primary interest was in sourcing authentic, group-ready suppliers, with a significant emphasis on outdoor experiences. Sustainability and accessibility were key themes throughout the discussions, with considerable enthusiasm around Dark Skies tourism and opportunities to extend the season.

Tourism Development Executive, Rachel Smith, also attended ETOA’s brand new Adventure Europe travel trade event. The pilot event brought together European tourism suppliers and buyers for networking and insight sessions. Notably in demand is the ability for visitors to discover destinations and gain new experiences while sampling the region’s culture, heritage and produce. Finding sustainable suppliers and making a positive impact locally was also high on the buyers’ wish lists.

Enjoy the benefits of VisitAberdeenshire’s Online Training Modules

When tourists visit your business, you and your front line team play an important role in their experience, and how they discover the wider region. Therefore, it’s important to have the knowledge and information available, to share, and act as ambassadors for the North-east to ensure they have the best visit possible.

By signing up to the ‘Know Your Destination’ online training modules, you and your team will learn more about what there is to see and do in the region. Five modules covering food and drink, adventure, the great outdoors and an overview of the history and heritage and cultural attractions of the North-east, will support your team to feel more confident, and your guests will leave happier. To find out more about the benefits and how you can sign up, click here.  

Upcoming events

 News from other organisations

Key Trends in Experiences: The Outlook for Tours, Activities & Attractions Webinar

Thursday, 17 October | 2PM GMT

Big changes are happening in visitor experiences. From shifting traveller preferences to new booking trends, these developments are reshaping how tours, attractions, and resellers operate. Join Arival, in partnership with ETOA, as they explore the key trends impacting the in-destination industry. Arival CEO and Co-Founder, Douglas Quinby will be joined by a panel of European tourism leaders like Angela Skelly of Travel Curious Ltd., with Rachel Read from ETOA moderating. Don’t miss this essential discussion for tour and activity operators, attractions, and destinations!

This online event is a great preview of the discussions and insights you can expect at Arival | Activate Edinburgh, from 23-25 November. (See the Arival | Activate Edinburgh Agenda to see the complete event programme).

REGISTER HERE FOR THE ONLINE EVENT: https://arival.travel/event/key-trends-in-experience/  

Learning journey support for SMEs

Aberdeen City Council have launched a new Grant Scheme to support businesses connected to the Digital Tech, Tourism and Food and Drink sectors overcome the financial barriers associated with attending trade shows. 

The new scheme provides grants of up to £500 to businesses looking to attend a UK-based trade show, exhibition or conference and up to £1000 for those looking to attend events overseas. To find out more about the support available, click here.

Northern Star business awards – deadline extended

The deadline for applications for The Northern Star Business Awards 2025 has been extended and will now close at 5pm on Friday 11 October.

Delivered by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Brodies LLP, the awards recognise accomplishments of organisations across the North-east through a variety of categories ranging from customer service to sustainability, innovation to taking care of your staff and business of the year. You can find the full list of categories and details on how to apply, here.

Agritourism Futures Scholarship Programme

Scottish Agritourism has 30 places to offer to people under the age of 35 to attend four days of development, including attending their two-day conference in November. With funding from Scottish Rural Network, the scholarships are open to young people with an interest in developing a knowledge of agritourism, without the need to live or work on a farm or have an agritourism business. You can find out more about the scholarship programme and how to apply, by clicking here.