Press release -
Partnerships have the expo factor
Aberdeenshire Council and VisitAberdeen have been announced as official destination partners at this year’s VisitScotland expo in April.
The national tourism organisation’s flagship travel trade event is to be held at the Granite City’s AECC on 22nd and 23rd April, and tourism businesses from across Scotland will have the opportunity to showcase the very best the country has to offer, including food and drink, accommodation, entertainment, culture, scenery and attractions.
The main expo event and receptions will showcase these partners and the region as a whole. Their partnership with VisitScotland will offer both Aberdeenshire Council and VisitAberdeen stand space and marketing opportunities to further promote Aberdeen City and Shire to tourism businesses.
VisitScotland expo will be attended by almost 380 hosted international buyers and over 200 hand-picked UK based buyers, including tour operators, wholesalers, travel agents and travel media.
Scotland will be promoted by over 200 businesses from across the country with a Scottish tourism product to highlight. Tourism companies in the North-east of Scotland are expected to capitalise on interest from tour operators and travel agents from new and emerging markets - such as Russia and India - at this year’s VisitScotland expo.
Philip Smith, VisitScotland Regional Director, said:
“I am delighted that Aberdeenshire Council and VisitAberdeen are working in partnership with VisitScotland at this year’s expo. Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it creates jobs, sustains communities and provides a shop window for business activity.
“This partnership allows us to jointly promote this fantastic region and all that it offers the visitor, including attractions, accommodation and food and drink.
“With 2015 being Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, expo will be a great opportunity for tourism businesses to really show off their regional offering. Food and drink is an important part of Scottish cultural identity and heritage and is a key strength in promoting Scotland as a fantastic holiday destination.”
Belinda Miller, Head of Economic Development at Aberdeenshire Council said:
“This year’s VisitScotland expo, in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, is an excellent opportunity for us to show off the very best of not only what the North-east has to offer but also Scotland as a whole.
“With its beautiful beaches, fantastic winter sports scene, historic distilleries and ancient castles, Aberdeenshire is the perfect stepping stone from which to begin a wonderful journey throughout the country.”
Peter Medley, Marketing Director for VisitAberdeen, said:
“We are delighted to see VisitScotland expo return to Aberdeen. This event has always been a great success in Aberdeen and we expect this year’s expo to be even more successful. Together with Aberdeenshire Council, we are very happy to be the official sponsors of VisitScotland expo 2015.
“Tourism businesses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will join together on the VisitAberdeen and Aberdeenshire pavilion to showcase the many reasons why tour operators and travel companies should seriously consider bringing their clients to the region.”
For more information, visit: www.visitscotlandexpo.com
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- visitscotland expo
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
