VisitAberdeenshire News - December 2025

It's not too late to Shine a Light on Your Winter Offers

This years’ Northern Nights winter campaign celebrates the magic of dark skies, cosy moments, and the unique experiences our region has to offer during the colder months.

If your business is running a special deal or offer that fits with the Northern Nights theme, we would love to hear from you. To discuss your offer, product, or any general enquiries, please contact industry@visitabdn.com for more information.

We have developed a Northern Nights Marketing Toolkit to help local businesses get involved, offering ready-made visuals, social media assets, messaging guidance, and engagement ideas. Whether you’re promoting winter warmers, evening events, or inviting visitors to enjoy the season’s slower place, these resources are here to support you in sharing the spirit of Northern Nights.

Northern Nights Marketing Toolkit

Have Your Say: VisitAberdeenshire’s International Markets Survey

Our International Markets Survey is still open. Thanks to everyone who has already shared their insights on top inbound markets and 2025 trends.

There’s still time to contribute – it just 5 minutes to share your thoughts.

Why take part:

• Influence how VisitAberdeenshire plans and prioritises activity.
• Help us further understand inbound tourism across the region.
• Contribute to a robust dataset – we'll share a summary of the results, so your input truly shapes the insights.

Get Involved.

Access to the new Business Listings Portal

New steps to access and update your business listings on visitabdn.com are being implemented.

If your business is already listed, you will receive an email over the coming weeks inviting you to reset your password and log in to the new portal. There are a number of new features you can now take advantage of, including uploading your latest special offers.

We will host a short webinar on 7 January to help you explore the portal and understand how to make the most of this free resource.

If you don't yet have a listing or require access to your listing sooner, please contact the team on submissions@visitabdn.com and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Register Here 

VisitAberdeenshire's Consumer Research 2025: Results Now Available

At VisitAberdeenshire, we're committed to keeping our finger on the pulse of what motivates UK visitors - how they choose where to go, what they like to do, and how they feel about destinations. That's why, for the fourth-year running, we've carried out an in-depth survey with 1,600 adults across the UK.

Here's what you'll discover in this year's insights:

• The types of holidays travellers love most.
• The activities they prioritise when they get away.
• Where people look for inspiration and trusted information.
• How Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire are perceived, and how we compare against other destinations.

You can dive into the results in whatever way works best for you:

One-pager: A quick snapshot of some standout findings.

Factsheet: A fuller overview, plus a set of practical "quick win" actions for your business.

Slide deck: A deeper breakdown of the results, including separate insights for Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire.

Explore the Full Results Pack

Some of the key findings will also be highlighted during VisitAberdeenshire's upcoming webinar: Understanding the 2026 UK Traveller: Trends, Motivations & Market Opportunities.

If you'd like to chat about these insights, or explore research needs specific to your business, please contact Deirdre O'Donnell, Insights & Evaluation Manager

Email Deidre

Get on Board for the 2026 Cruise Season

In 2025, Aberdeen welcomed 65 cruise ships and over 43,000 guests and crew, a remarkable 79% increase in visitor numbers from 2024.

With even more cruise ship calls expected in 2026, now is the time to position your business in front of thousands of high-spending international visitors arriving at the heart of the city.

Our tailored Cruise Advertising Packages offer unique visibility across:

• Quayside advertising opportunities
• Our popular visitor map, in print and digital formats
• The Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteer information trailer
• VisitAberdeenshire's high-traffic website

Each year, thousands of printed maps are distributed directly to cruise visitors by our Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteer team, inspiring them to explore the city and surrounding areas to discover local businesses, attractions, and experiences.

Make your business part of their journey in 2026. To find out more, contact Gemma Laing, Advertising Sales Executive

Email Gemma

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS

Aberdeen Christmas Village Opens for 2025! 

The festivities have begun with the return of Aberdeen's Christmas Village. Broad Street has once again been transformed into a winter wonderland of family-friendly fun. Visitors can expect an outdoor ice rink, fairground rides, a village food plaza and Curated in the Square - a market showcasing local producers, makers and artist. With stallholders varying each weekend and opening times altering according to weather conditions it is advised to check prior to attending.

For More Information

Business Energy Scotland - Funding for Window Upgrades 

If you have single glazing or old, draughty double glazing and are interested in reducing your energy bills, Business Energy Scotland are hosting a free webinar on Thursday 22 January 2026. During this they will cover how to reduce heat loss, navigate challenges in conservation areas and benefits of modern glazing.

Financial support is currently being provided by Scottish Government to help Scottish small and medium-sized (SME) businesses. 0% loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business - including glazing, where 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £20,000 can also be claimed.

Sign Up