VisitAberdeenshire News - February 2026

Will it ever stop raining? 

Of course it will! Let’s not forget that statistically we live in one of the driest corners of Scotland.

Those longer, drier days and clear nights of spring are not far away. In the meantime, we have plenty of activity lined up to promote and develop tourism right across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Read on for more details.

Our 2026 Spring Campaign Launches 23 February

Our spring campaign will inspire visits from Easter into early summer, celebrating our amazing food and drink produce, unforgettable experiences, and the great outdoors. The campaign will drive increased visibility across our website, email marketing and social media, encouraging visitors and locals alike to explore, book and spend.

We are delighted to be working once again with headline partner Loganair to extend the reach of the campaign into key catchment areas in England. And we welcome on board Fettercairn Distillery as supporting partner to bring a distinctive taste of the Mearns to the campaign.

Discover how you can be involved below.

• Make sure your business is listed (and up to date)

  To benefit from the extra traffic the campaign will generate, we encourage businesses to check their website listing is live, accurate and up to date. An updated listing helps visitors find you easily and is a free and simple way to increase awareness and footfall during campaign periods and year-round.

  Login to manage your business listing 

• Have a special offer or deal for visitors or locals? 

  By adding it to visitabdn.com, your offer could feature across key website pages, email marketing and social media during the spring campaign, all at no cost. It's a great way to stand out and encourage people to choose your business, login now to take advantage.

• Add your event to the What's On section for free

  If you're running an event this Easter into early summer, make sure it's listed in our What's On section. Events submitted can be promoted as part of the upcoming spring campaign, helping to attract new audiences and boost attendance, completely free of charge.

  Submit your event 

What do people rely on to help inform their holiday/short break choices?

In top spot, selected by 7 out of 10 people, is digital/online tools. Closely followed by talking with friends and family, selected by two thirds (66%). In third place, selected by 6 in 10, is past personal experience.

Friends and family experiences are perennial trusted sources - always featuring in the top three when it comes to informing our decision making.

Digging deeper into which digital/online tools people use, online search engines (60%), booking platforms (50%) and traveller review websites/apps (47%) take the top 3 spots.

Instagram leads the way for social media, with 7 in 10 using this platform. YouTube (53%), Facebook (48%) and TikTok (45%) also play a key role.

These highlights are drawn from VisitAberdeenshire’s annual consumer survey 2025.

To find out more:

Watch our Customer and Market Insights webinar

Read our headline factsheet

If this is an area you would like to develop, take a look at VisitAberdeenshire’s Digital Marketing resources, including bitesize webinars, useful marketing tools and signposting to additional support.

Travel Trade Updates

January was a busy month for Travel Trade, with two trips to Glasgow, including a UKInbound networking event and the SITE AGM which focused on Incentive Tourism and discussed how to spread the business around Scotland and how to support and educate suppliers to welcome this business.

February is shaping up to be a packed month, starting with Nordics Marketplace in Stockholm held 4–6 February. The key focus will be on culture, outdoor experiences and authentic local connections. This is followed by the UKInbound Conference in Manchester, taking place from 24–27 February, where the varied client mix allows us to showcase a wide range of themes across the region.

Alongside conferences, three familiarisation visits are currently in development: two with high-end FIT DMCs and one incentive-focused visit designed for larger groups and longer stays.

With so much activity ahead, we would love to hear from you if you have new product ideas, experiences or accommodation updates, or if you would like to be involved in upcoming familiarisation visits.

Contact Alanna

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS

Scottish Thistle Awards Bitesize Webinar – Get Ready to be a 2026 Winner 

Join VisitScotland on 26 February, just before entries open for the 2026 Scottish Thistle Awards and discover what makes the awards different and why you should enter. At this 30-minute webinar, learn how to make your entry stand out, what the judges are looking for and how winning can bring real benefits to your business or event.

Sign up

Global Agritourism Conference

Scottish Agritourism looks forward to welcoming 1000 delegates, from all over the world, for the inaugural Global Agritourism Conference. Held at P&J Live in Aberdeen on 23 – 25 June 2026 this inaugural event includes a fully curated conference programme with a full day of core farm tours, immersive learning journeys and unique once in a lifetime knowledge exchange experience and networking opportunities.

For more information

Opportunity: SITE Scotland Young Leader's Sponsorship - 1 spot remaining

Are you looking to deepen your knowledge of the incentive market and connect with Scottish suppliers and destination management companies? SITE Scotland is offering a sponsored place for a Young Leader to join for the year ahead.

SITE Scotland is open to people of all ages and levels of experience in the incentive market. The Young Leader's programme provides a welcome opening for those either new to the industry, or under 35 with some experience, to explore the market whilst receiving support and guidance from industry peers. Throughout the year, members have the opportunity to network, learn, and engage with the incentive travel market.

Applications for the sponsored place close 20th February, but membership is open to all. Please note that this opportunity to all suppliers in Scotland.

Get in touch.