Business surgeries and digital advice

One of our most important roles is to support the growth of the Scottish tourism industry, and one of the ways we achieve this is through providing your business with tailored advice and support.

Our team of Industry Relationship Managers are experts in their field and have the skills to assist the development, and manage the ongoing sustainability, of your tourism business. From recommendations of products and services which will help you amplify your business to your target audience, to joining our Quality Assurance scheme and much more, our team are here to help you grow.

Every tourism business is different, and one size doesn’t fit all, so our advice is always tailored specifically to your needs. Here are some examples of the topics we can provide advice and support on:

• Digital
• Digital review
• Working with others
• Quality assurance
• Targeting UK and International markets

Digital 

The only certainty about the digital landscape is that it will continue to grow and move faster than ever before. Digital channels play a huge role in the visitor experience. Having a firm grasp of technology and being able to use it is a powerful way to save precious time, increase efficiency and, importantly, grow revenue. 

Research shows that up to 80% of visitors now book online, carrying out thousands of searches during that process. Does your business show up in these searches, and do they translate into bookings?

We’re here to help you amplify your online presence, whether you need help with the first steps or more advanced advice on topics such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to help you maximise these online opportunities. Your online and social media presence can inspire future visitors, allow them to discover what you have to offer and enable them to book that experience.   

Digital review

We know that this can feel like a huge task, so our team are on hand to help you make the most of your digital presence. Whether your focus is on your website, social media channels or booking platforms, our Industry Relationship Managers can take you through a free digital review to help you create a clear plan to how to develop your business.

We’ll take a look at your existing channels and focus on the fundamental actions which would enhance your discoverability and book-ability online, both directly and indirectly. From this, we’ll provide you with our objective feedback based on industry best practice, as well as a tailored action plan for you to work through following our session together.

Our digital reviews are most helpful for those just beginning their journey with digital marketing. However, they’re also useful if you’re looking for reassurance that you’re taking all the right steps and present on the most suited platforms.

If you’re interested in advancing your digital skills further, you’ll find a wealth of guidance on digital technologies, marketing and best practice in our digital skills section. There you’ll find expertise on topics such as SEO, Google Analytics, using email marketing, tips on capturing photo and video content, and much more.

Working with others

Collaboration is key to developing and growing tourism in your local area. We can help connect you to relevant local initiatives and introduce you to tourism groups and membership bodies. These relationships can help you plug into local networks, partnerships, gain a supportive local network and lead to new product development. 

We can also signpost you to other agencies for further specialist business support.

Quality assurance

Scotland welcomes millions of visitors every year and our world-renowned Quality Assurance (QA) schemes help reassure our visitors of the quality of experience that Scotland has to offer. From visitor attractions, accommodation and restaurants – our QA schemes helps visitors choose with confidence.

At a time when visitors are looking for that extra bit of reassurance, now is the perfect time to sign up.

Your Industry Relationship Manager can advise how you can benefit from QA membership, help you to understand the scheme criteria that is right for your business, explain how to use your QA report as a business development tool and make recommendations on how to promote your award through your own marketing channels. 

Find out more about Quality Assurance and how to join on our dedicated page.

Targeting UK and International markets

We want to help you understand more about your key markets and what encourages them to book, for both international and domestic audiences. If this is all new to you, we can help with that too.

We can introduce you to and provide guidance on how to work with travel intermediaries, such as inbound tour operators, and advise on how to use online travel agencies (OTAs). We can also help you to develop your product offering and get market ready. There are many opportunities to engage with your audiences through our programme of specialist tourism industry events, such as VisitScotland Expo and Scotland Reconnect, and our dedicated travel trade section. 

If you’d like to speak to your Industry Relationship Manager (IRM) to discuss your business’ growth, get in touch with us by contacting [email protected].

Make sure you include your business name and location so we can refer you to the IRM promoting your region. Please also let us know what topic(s) you’d like support with; whether it’s digital support, working with others, Quality Assurance or determining your target market.

We look forward to hearing from and working alongside you soon.