VisitAberdeenshire News - July 2026
School’s (just about) out for summer and we look forward to welcoming many more visitors to the North-east who will arrive by trains, planes, automobiles, and, increasingly by ship over the next few months.
In this issue we have a glance back at 2025 but also focus on initiatives that the VisitAberdeenshire team are implementing to drive future business into the region with opportunities for local businesses to get involved. An important date for your diary is 4 November when the tourism industry of North-east Scotland will convene at P&J Live for the 2026 tourism conference. We are curating an inspirational programme to get us all on the front foot for 2027 and beyond.
New visitor economy figures reveal growth across the region
The latest STEAM results underline the growing value of the region's visitor economy, with tourism generating £1.37 billion in 2025, a real-term increase of 4.5% on 2024. Day visitors rose to nearly 3.5 million, supported by major events including Tall Ships, while staying visitors exceeded 3.6 million and the sector supported over 11,700 full-time equivalent jobs.
Dedicated slide decks for Aberdeen city, Aberdeenshire and the region highlight emerging trends including Aberdeenshire's strong second quarter, seasonal patterns from five years of comparable data. The insights also highlight the potential for collaboration to attract more visitors, extend stays, increase spend and deliver wider economic benefits for the region.
How campaigns shift perceptions: insights from Spring 2026 Destination Delicious
A new layer of campaign insight is helping us understand how our marketing activity influences how people think and feel about the region. Feedback from the Spring 2026 “Destination Delicious” campaign reveals how food and drink activity is shifting perceptions of what’s on offer, building visitor confidence, and encouraging people to explore more.
Read on for the key themes emerging from the latest evaluation.
Global Agritourism Conference on our doorstep
VisitAberdeenshire was delighted that our region was chosen as the host destination of the inaugural Global Agritourism Conference 2026 at P&J Live last week where voices from around the world exploring the future of farm and food-based tourism. From inspiring success stories to honest conversations about the challenges producers face, the event offered a wealth of insight into how agritourism is evolving through innovative products, immersive experiences, and fresh thinking about what visitors want. If you're considering developing or refining your own offering, take a look at our support for food & drink suppliers.
VisitAberdeenshire - Castles, Culture & Connections: The North-east Incentive Showcase
VisitAberdeenshire is set to host a group from UK and Nordic-based incentive travel DMCs from 30 November to 2 December. Buyers attending will look for experiences, venues, and services to create high-value incentive programmes for corporate clients.
We are looking for local tourism businesses to take part and help demonstrate why Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is a compelling incentive destination. This free to attend event offers an exciting opportunity to grow your business in the incentive travel market.
Make your business more visible at decision-making stage
Looking to boost bookings or promote an offer, stay, or seasonal experience? A free listing on the VisitAberdeenshire website is a simple way to reach visitors planning trips to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Selected offers may also feature on our website, social channels, and monthly consumer emails, reaching 136,000+ subscribers.
To submit an offer or find out more, contact the Tourism Development team
North-east Scotland Tourism Conference venue announced
Join us at the P&J Live, Aberdeen on Wednesday 4 November 2026 for a day of insight, inspiration and forward-thinking discussion.
Bringing together tourism and hospitality businesses from across the region, the conference will provide an opportunity to share ideas, tackle common challenges and build valuable connections that support a thriving visitor economy.
News from other organistations
Market updates from VisitScotland – trends, insights and opportunities
Over the next couple of months, VisitScotland will be running a series of bitesize webinars that take a closer look at travel trends, preferences and booking behaviour of the North American, Chinese, Australian, and European markets.
Rogue Invitational returns to P&J Live this autumn
Returning for a third consecutive year, the 8th annual Rogue Invitational will bring the world’s strongest athletes to P&J Live on 23-25 October. Alongside incredible feats of strength and fitness will be a Vendor Village that provides retailers with a targeted opportunity to market to a highly targeted audience of fitness fans from the US, Europe and across the UK.
National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations - Creative Scotland
The Creative Scotland National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations provides grants of up to £100,000 to support creative activity that runs for up to 18 months. Available to Artistic, creative and cultural organisations based in Scotland.
Digital marketing webinars from Business gateway
Are you interested in learning how video content helps people find your website, how to build a strong brand, or how to plan and curate good content online? Business Gateway is offering a host of CPD accredited digital marketing webinars throughout July and August.
Train to become a CPD-certified Green Champion
Business Energy Scotland’s latest Green Champion webinar is available to book online for free and will take place on Wednesday 29 July from 10am to 12:30pm.
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Your go-to resource for the latest news, insights and updates for tourism and hospitality businesses across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Stay informed about events, workshops and opportunities to help your business thrive in the region’s vibrant visitor economy.
