VisitAberdeenshire News - June 2026
Understanding our visitors and making the most of growth opportunities this summer, autumn and beyond
How our visitors, and prospective visitors source inspiration and information continues to evolve. Long memories will recall thumbing through the Yellow Pages, wading through brochures, and making landline phone calls. Even desktop-based internet search – whilst not a thing of the past - is certainly no longer alone at the vanguard of visitor information. Looking to the future, VisitAberdeenshire’s new website has been curated specifically as a living content database that can feed AI search tools, and crucially, it has been designed to be mobile-friendly. We’ve learned much about smartphone use on holidays through our annual UK-wide consumer survey, and we’re delighted to share that insight with the wider tourism business community. Read on for more on that, and other developments in the North-east tourism sector.
Chris
Visitor Insights: Smartphone use on holiday
Our 2025 annual consumer research shows smartphone play a central role in the visitor experience, with the most common used including checking the weather, sharing photos, using maps, accessing tickets and finding tourist information. For tourism businesses, the message is clear: make key information easy to access on mobile by keeping websites user friendly, up to date and simple to navigate.
Read more on our business community website for a full breakdown of smartphone uses and tips on how to use these findings.
Extend the visitor season with outdoor & adventure tourism
Last month we hosted an insightful webinar in partnership with North East Adventure Tourism. The session highlighted how businesses can extend the season by appealing to winter adventure travellers and adapting their offer to encourage more overnight stays.
Watch the recording to hear about the opportunities from this sector and how your business can benefit.
National volunteers week – celebrating the impact of Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteers
VisitAberdeenshire is celebrating the growing impact of the Welcome to Aberdeenshire volunteer programme during National Volunteers’ Week. Supporting cruise arrivals at Aberdeen South Harbour, volunteers play avital role in shaping first impressions, offering local knowledge and enhancing visitor experiences. With 1,876 hours contributed over the past three seasons and further growth expected in 2026, the programme continues to strengthen the region’s visitor economy.
Discover how volunteers are making a difference and what’s planned for the season ahead.
Get ready for an eventful summer
Seasonal events, including Highland Games across the region, the Granite City Festival and Scottish Traditional Boat Festival, are set to bring in more visitors to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire this summer.
You can align your messaging around what’s on locally, promote special offers, and feature nearby events in your social media content to capture their attention.
List your business and promote your deals and offers for free on VisitAberdeenshire’s website.
Be part of our upcoming autumn campaign
VisitAberdeenshire’s autumn campaign launches in mid-July and we are currently inviting tourism and hospitality businesses to get involved through campaign partnership opportunities. Partnering with us allows you to extend your marketing budget further and benefit from destination-wide activity designed to inspire visits to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Partners can benefit from increased exposure, lead generation opportunities, inclusion across campaign activity and performance reporting. Opportunities are available for Headline Partners, Supporting Partners and Associate Partners, offering options for different budgets and levels of involvement.
To find out more, please contact our Partnerships Manager, Nikki Walters.
Upcoming VisitAberdeenshire events
Travel Trade Masterclass, Tuesday 9 June, 9:30am – 3pm
North-east Scotland Tourism Conference, Wednesday 4 June - ticket go on sale soon
News from other organisations
ASSC Spring Barometer Survey
ASSC’s Spring Barometer Survey will gather insight into current trading conditions, booking trends, business confidence and expectations for the season ahead. Open to self-catering operators and businesses across Scotland, the survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and will close at midnight on 28 June.
Call for nominations for Heart of the High Street awards
Launched this month, Aberdeenshire Council’s Heart of the High Street campaign aims to recognise the individuals, teams and businesses whose commitment to customer care helps keep the region’s town centres vibrant and welcoming. Nominations should be made online by 7 June.
Paint the Town Tartan to cheer Scotland on during the World Cup
Aberdeen is being urged to “Paint the Town Tartan” as excitement builds for Scotland’s return to the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years.
Aberdeen Inspired is inviting shops, restaurants, bars, businesses and other attractions to dress their buildings in a sea of tartan and messages of support for the Scottish squad before they head for the USA next month.
Applications for Coastal Communities Challenge Fund close Monday 22 June
Don’t miss the deadline for Aberdeenshire Council’s latest round of its Coastal Communities Challenge Fund, with grants of up to £49,999 now available. Grants are again being targeted at community groups, third sector organisations and small businesses around Aberdeenshire’s coastline which can fund a range of activities with positive economic, social or environmental impacts.
Museum Futures Funds now open
North-east Scotland’s museums and galleries are invited to embark on a pioneering journey towards long-term sustainability with this partnership programme developed by Museums Galleries Scotland, Scottish Government, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Explore the Challenges and Opportunities in Food & Drink with Business Gateway
Business Gateway is hosting a relaxed networking event in Banff, bringing together local businesses for an afternoon of insight and connections.
Tuesday 16 June, 1:30pm – 3:30pm, Banff
Sign-up
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.
