TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance

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TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
TOURISM
                             @visitscotland

SCOTLAND 2020
YEARLY REVIEW | MARCH 2018
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
FOREWORD
STEPHEN LECKIE, CHAIR, TOURISM LEADERSHIP GROUP,
MARCH 2018

Over the last five and a half years,        This alignment helped us significantly
Tourism Scotland 2020 (TS2020) has          when we undertook the TS2020 Mid
brought our industry together. It has       Term Review in 2016.
provided the single framework around
which the many tourism industry             The review concluded that, reassuringly,
groups, initiatives and organisations       our framework was still fit for purpose
have gathered, providing a common           and looking across the different
language and a reason for discussions to    strategies we could see clearly that
take place.                                 there were common themes which
                                            could be effectively addressed with a
The delivery of the strategy has been       national approach. Four national
overseen by the Tourism Leadership          priorities were agreed;
Group, comprising senior industry,
Government and public sector
representatives, and is supported by the    1. Increasing the digital capabilities of
Scottish Tourism Alliance.                  the sector

The success of the TS2020 strategy,         2. Increasing the leadership
colloquially known as ‘The Rocket’, has     capabilities of the sector
resulted in over 35 destination and
sector strategies being aligned to the      3. Influencing investment
national framework, and whereas it
provides a framework, it also enables       4. Raising the quality of the visitor
plenty of flexibility so that regions and   experience, in particular skills
sectors can express their own
personalities and highlight their own
strengths and challenges.
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
Since the launch of the TS2020 Mid Term Review, activity on these four themes has
been underway. We have continued to advise and support where we can the
regional and sector groups in the delivery and alignment of their own strategies.

Some highlights from the year include:

• Our flagship digital programme, Digital   • The importance of investing in
Tourism Scotland, got a revamp this year    infrastructure and facilities which
with the launch of a new digital platform   benefit both the communities and
on www.digitaltourismscotland.com. Far      visitors has been highlighted over the
more user friendly, the website lists all   summer, and the launch of the Scottish
the events across the country, together     Government’s Rural Tourism
with support and advice. The                Infrastructure Fund helps to recognise
programme has engaged with over             this.
20,000 industry professionals and 10% of
the tourism industry so far.                • Tourism related investments are being
                                            considered within the majority of City
                                            Region Deals and Regional Growth
• The cycle of the renewal and review of
                                            Deals which are underway or in
destination strategies continues, with
                                            development at the moment. The
Fife and Aberdeenshire being reviewed,
                                            Tourism Leadership Group partners are
Renfrewshire recently published and
                                            feeding in to ensure a joined up
Shetland and Glasgow City Region in
                                            strategic approach and that tourism
development. All are aligned to TS2020.
                                            opportunities within the deals are
The heritage tourism and marine
                                            maximised.
tourism strategies are also reporting on
progress in the coming month.
                                            • People and skills continue to focus on
                                            the need to encourage people, young
                                            and old, to see tourism as a career. The
                                            STA and other industry leaders continue
                                            to work with Springboard,
                                            employees and Universities, colleges
                                            and schools to highlight the varied
                                            careers available.
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
As you can see work continues to             Our industry and our businesses need to
support the delivery of TS2020. We           be as resilient as they can be, so that
encourage all partners to report on their    with falling budgets and rising costs we
activities so we can highlight the           can weather any storms which may
collective impact. This will keep Scottish   approach our shores.
tourism on track and make it ready to
face the next decade with confidence.        So looking ahead to 2018, the Tourism
                                             Leadership Group’s focus will turn to the
To help get word out, we have launched       next tourism strategy beyond 2020. We
the ‘TS2020 Update’ a bi-monthly             will review what has been achieved,
publication which focuses on the key         what more needs to be done or needs to
TS2020-related initiatives. The STA’s        be done differently in the coming years.
monthly publication ‘The Talker’ aimed       Whilst this is underway, TS2020 and all
at tourism businesses also includes          the related strategies will continue to be
strategic information relevant to            delivered. We would expect there to be
businesses.                                  continuity between TS2020 and the
                                             next strategy.
Our Big 5 Questions campaign aims to
bring together in one place the              TS2020 is a team effort and on behalf of
considerable amount of support that is       the Tourism Leadership Group, I would
available to tourism businesses and I        like to thank everyone involved across
would encourage you to visit the pages       the country from different organisations,
and take advantage of the help that is       companies, agencies and at a local,
available.                                   regional, sectoral and national levels.
                                             Together, ‘the future of our industry is
We know that uncertainty is around the       in our hands’.
corner and this may affect our economy.
With rising costs and little growth in the
domestic market, we need to make the
most of the opportunities which are
presented to us, such as capitalising on
the buoyant inbound international
markets and huge growth in day visits.

                Stephen Leckie,Chair, Tourism Leadership Group
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
INDUSTRY
PERFORMANCE
TOTAL OVERNIGHT VISITOR
SPEND

                                                                          Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey / International Passenger Survey
                                                                                      Forecast expressed in nominal terms, including inflation

TOTAL GROWTH MARKETS
OVERNIGHT SPEND

 Spend (£ million / nominal) 2010       2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 (e)                                                 2020 (e)

  Home Turf                 2,517       3,018 2,892 2,889 2,871 3,110 2,897 2,940                                              3,586

  Near Neighbours           660         732        641        698        706        693         629        818                 875

  Distant Cousins           348        414         450        457        654         582        742        747                  505

  Emerging Markets          45          34         55         79         93         60          65         93                   70

                                  Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey / International Passenger Survey. (£million / nominal (includes inflation))
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
AVERAGE VISITOR SPEND

                    £900

                    £800

                    £700
Visitor spend (£)

                    £600

                    £500

                    £400

                    £300

                    £200

                    £100

                                                Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey / International Passenger Survey

      TOTAL TOURISM TURNOVER
(£ millions)

                                            Source: Scot Gov 'Growth Sector Statistics Database' - published 30 Aug 17.

                    TOURISM JOBS
Employment

                                             Source: Scot Gov 'Growth Sector Statistics Database' - published 16 Nov 17.
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
LEADERSHIP
Leading the Strategy                         Scottish Tourism Week
No one organisation can deliver the          Developed and led by the Scottish
national tourism strategy and with over      Tourism Alliance, Scottish Tourism
35 strategies aligned to the national        Week 2017 had the theme of ‘The
approach, the number of individuals          Future Beyond 2020’. The week shines
and organisations involved with leading      a spotlight on the tourism industry
and delivering TS2020 is significant. To     and its importance to Scotland.
deliver this collegiate approach, positive
relationships have been established          Over 450 people attended the STA
based on trust. It is truly a team effort.   Signature Conference which kicked
                                             off the week and over 25 events and
At a national level, oversight of the        conferences were held across
strategy remains the responsibility of       Scotland over the next 9 days. In total
the Tourism Leadership Group which           over 1,500 people were involved in the
comprises senior representatives from        tourism conversation and there were
the industry, public sector and Scottish     over 158,000 impressions on Twitter.
Government. The Scottish Tourism
Alliance continues to provide support to     In 2018, Scottish Tourism
this group and other TS2020-related          Week became Scottish Tourism
initiatives through its role as              Month.
coordinator. The organisation also acts
as champion for the strategy.

Recognising and celebrating
excellence in Scottish Tourism

This year marks the 25th anniversary of
the Scottish Thistle Awards, Scotland's
tourism industry Oscars. The awards
reflect the national tourism strategy and
entries were up 5% on last year.
                                             Freda Newton, Silver Thistle Winner 2017

750                                          1
               entries for the 2017              New National Category - Best
               awards                            Business Event
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
Destination Leaders Programme

Based on an internationally acclaimed        This year, the DLP was awarded the 2017
initiative originating in Melbourne, the     THELMA Award (Times Higher
Destination Leaders Programme (DLP)          Education Leadership and Management
was designed to identify emerging            Awards) for Outstanding Employer
tourism leaders and provide them with        Engagement Initiative which recognises
the skills, knowledge and networks they      the best examples of innovation,
need to become effective destination         teamwork and enterprise at academic
leaders. It is funded jointly through        institutions.
Scottish Enterprise and delegate fees
and delivered by Edinburgh Napier            Click here for more about the impacts
University.                                  and outcomes of the programme from
                                             alumni.
Now in its fifth year, 81 individuals have
graduated from the DLP creating an
extensive network of destination leaders
across Scotland.

Aspiring Leaders Programme                   The Business Improvement Academy

In Glasgow, the Glasgow Welcomes             The Business Improvement Academy is a
initiative led by Glasgow Life and           Scottish Enterprise initiative which aims
supported by Scottish Enterprise has         to improve productivity by focusing on
launched a pilot Aspiring Leaders            incremental improvements and
Programme. This new leadership               behavioural change. Academies
training programme will assist               have been delivered in Edinburgh and
managers in tourism and hospitality to       Glasgow with plans for Aberdeenshire.
improve their leadership skills and
introduce them to business efficiency        Apex Hotels and Radisson Blu have both
and productivity drivers. Fifteen aspiring   taken advantage of the programme, with
leaders have been identified within the      Radisson Blu demonstrating a significant
city and the course commenced in             drop in cost of labour percentage
January 2018.                                (COL%). As a result Apex Hotels
                                             focused on increased innovation and staff
                                             development.
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM
Sustainable Tourism Objectives:

Scotland’s sustainable tourism objectives
reach across all parts of the sector and
the strategy aims to support a strong,
resilient and sustainable industry.

 1. Grow sustainable tourism
 opportunities
 2. Help the sector adapt to climate
 change
 3. Make holidays accessible to all
 4. Improve the quality of jobs
 5. Support communities and enhance
 quality of life
 6. Protect and enhance natural and
 cultural heritage
 7. Reduce resource use and waste
 8. Reduce transport tourism impact

As you will read, many of the initiatives in
this report contribute to one or more of
the objectives.

Help the Sector Adapt to Climate
Change
In October 2017, Interface and
Adaptation Scotland organised Fit for
our Future, an event which aimed to
prompt tourism stakeholders to
consider how a changing climate
might impact our industry. In
January 2018, Adaptation Scotland
published tourism-specific business
advice in collaboration with Scottish
Enterprise, VisitScotland and The
2020 Climate Group.
TOURISM SCOTLAND 2020 - @visitscotland - Scottish Tourism Alliance
5. Support communities and enhance
                                               quality of life
                                               6. Protect and enhance natural and
                                               cultural heritage
                                               7. Reduce resource use and waste
                                               8. Reduce transport tourism impact
Reduce Resource Use and Waste

Green Tourism is the largest national          Green Tourism has been a leader in
sustainable grading programme in the           supporting Scotland’s Climate Change
world, and celebrates its 20th                 Commitments.
anniversary. The role Green Tourism plays
is to support members in translating           To mark 20 years, Green Tourism
sustainable goals into auditable business      has produced a special report
actions that better equip businesses and       highlighting the contributions which
the planet. Established, and still based, in   Green Tourism members have
Scotland the programme has                     collectively made.
undertaken over 15,000 assessments
since it began in 1997, with over 800
tourism businesses participating in
Scotland,

           1 million tonnes of water                    ¼ million tonnes of carbon
           saved.                                       saved.

                                                      Over 30% of Green Tourism
           25 million visitors p.a. to                businesses are avoiding
           accredited attractions.                    single use plastic water
                                                      bottles.

           Tourism businesses have                      Over 5 million bed nights p.a.
           been involved in over 5,000                  have been spent in Green
           green projects, from tree                    Tourism serviced
           planting to litter picks and                 accommodation.
           community gardens.
TOURISM DATA
The need for the tourism sector to use data more effectively and creatively continues
to grow in importance. With increased emphasis on effective monitoring and a
recognition that large datasets can be mined innovatively to provide tourism
insights, a number of tourism projects are beginning to come to the fore.

Data Opportunity – Tourism Plan

Scottish Enterprise is leading a             An industry/public sector steering group
partnership of public sector and industry    is being formed with backing of the
to create a Tourism Data Opportunity         Tourism Leadership Group to lead the
Plan. The plan will help ensure that         delivery of this plan, which will support
the tourism industry is well positioned to   the industry to increase data driven
benefit from the rapid developments          innovation.
around data driven innovation in line
with Scottish Government’s Open Data         The plan will coordinate strategic
Strategy.                                    engagements with key partners
                                             including University of Edinburgh who
                                             are taking a lead role in the data
                                             activities funded through the Edinburgh
                                             City Region Deal.
Edinburgh Tourism Innovation
Challenge

Creating new ways to ensure             The Challenge has already resulted in
Edinburgh’s tourism industry meets      three new businesses forming to
its strategic goal of £1.6bn by 2020    provide travel tech solutions which
was the objective of this project.      address challenges in Scotland and
Scottish Enterprise recruited over 90   are scalable to other destinations.
data scientist and UX (user             One uses gamification to address
experience), digital and tourism        visitor dispersal, a second focuses
experts. Local tourism partners         on crowd safety and management
provided the focus (and the data) for   and the third taps into the $150bn
the tech sector allowing them to        Chinese wedding market.
contextualise their solutions.

VisitScotland Tourism Barometer

VisitScotland is piloting a new         A number of regions, including Falkirk,
business barometer with a number of     Perthshire and Argyll & the Isles, are part
destinations. This quarterly survey     of the pilot. A number of other
aims to help destinations better        destinations, including our National
understand how businesses are           Parks and Glasgow, undertaking their
feeling and performing.                 own regular business sentiment surveys.
INFLUENCING
INVESTMENT
Due to tourism’s reach across so many
parts of the economy, it has been
difficult to build an effective case for
strategic investment. To better
articulate the case the Tourism
Leadership Group has been working
closely with the Scottish Government
and agency partners to develop a clear
narrative for the sector’s economic
contribution.

The Tourism Leadership Group has also
been looking to better understand
available tourism data in order to ensure
tourism's contribution to the Scottish
economy is clear.

A Tourism Facts & Figures document is
to be launched in Spring 2018.
Tourism Development Framework

The Tourism Development Framework          This Framework was refreshed in
for Scotland was first published in June   January 2017 and a list of projects
2013 with a focus on the importance of     highlighted over £16.5 billion of planned
the planning system in Scotland and        infrastructure investment to 2020. A
the role it plays in assisting and         update is planned for late 2018.
promoting growth in the visitor
economy. The Framework aligns              One action within the Framework was
directly with Tourism Scotland 2020,       to make the information more dynamic
and is now referenced in national          by matching the current provision of
planning policy and strategy               tourism products with future demand
documents. Private sector operators        using data analytics and research
and investors are able to use it as an     trends. VisitScotland is leading this
important source of support and            work and hopes to have three pilot
advice.                                    projects in place during 2018.
Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund
                                       These were:
In October 2017, the Scottish
Government announced the                Standing Stones of Stenness, Orkney
creation of a £6m Rural Tourism         (£80k for car park)
Infrastructure Fund which seeks to      Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye (£300k to
support sustainable growth of           develop visitor facilities including
tourism in popular rural areas          toilets)
across Scotland. Funding for the        Neist Point, Isle of Skye (£100k to
first three sites to receive support    improve road access & parking)
was announced in February.

City Region Deals

Additional infrastructure                Glasgow City Region Deal – signed
investment will be secured through       August 2014
six City Region Deals. This              Aberdeen City Region Deal – signed
investment will support                  November 2016
tourism through improvements to          Inverness City Region Deal – signed
transport infrastructure and in          January 2017
some regions there are specific          Edinburgh & South East Scotland
tourism investments.                     City Region Deal
                                         Tay Cities City Region Deal
                                         Stirling and Clackmannanshire City
                                         Region Deal
DIGITAL
CAPABILITIES
Digital Tourism Scotland

Digital Tourism Scotland (DTS) is a £1.2
million programme to support tourism
businesses in harnessing the power of digital
(£656,757 Scottish Government and £561,757
SE). The programme is led by Scottish
Enterprise in partnership with Business
Gateway, Scottish Government, Highlands
and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Tourism
Alliance, Skills Development Scotland and
VisitScotland.

The programme supports the TS2020 Mid
Term Review priority to increase digital
capabilities of the sector, with specific aims
to:
1. Grow the volume of businesses trading
online.
2. Improve sector productivity through more
businesses adapting digital processes.

To date, over 3500 delegates have
participated in over 200 workshops and
awareness raising events have been held
across the country.

Phase Two began in 2017 with the launch of
the new Digital Tourism Scotland website
-www.digitaltourismscotland.com - and an
updated series of events and workshops. All
activities are being promoted under the
strapline 'digital expertise without the
jargon'.
DTS Progress to date (2015 – 2018):

20k
        individuals have
                                         65%      of businesses said since
        participated in DTS                       engaging with DTS they
        webinars showcasing latest                were more likely to
        technologies.                             introduce new digital
                                                  processes.

48%      of accommodation                25       destinations across
         businesses in VS.com are                 Scotland are involved
         now bookable online, up                  with DTS.
         from 3% in 2015.

DTS maximises public investment by bringing together Enterprise Agency,
Digital Boost, Business Gateway and VisitScotland support.
QUALITY OF THE
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Recognising and adapting to the               This year development has taken place
changing nature of tourism is essential if    in two new areas - food tourism and the
Scotland is to continue providing quality     collaborative economy – and there is
experiences.                                  continued delivery of flagship customer
                                              service programmes, WorldHost
                                              Destinations and Glasgow Welcomes.

Food Tourism

Food and drink is one of the themes in        This new framework will provide Scotland
Tourism Scotland 2020 and is also a key       with a huge opportunity to shine the
part of the food and drink industry’s new     spotlight on our quality, diverse range of
strategy, Ambition 2030.                      produce and to strengthen the
                                              association of Scotland as a place of
To capitalise on the increasing               outstanding food and drink experiences.
importance of local, good quality food
and drink to visitors, the Scottish Tourism   An industry steering group has been
Alliance and Scotland Food & Drink are        established and engagement has been
working together to develop a National        high, with over 650 responses to an online
Framework to Grow Food Tourism. This          survey and interviews. Further
important work will help to strengthen        consultation and discussion is planned
Scotland’s potential to become a global       with the intention to publish the strategy
food tourism destination.                     in summer 2018.
The Collaborative Economy
and Tourism

The emergence of the collaborative (or     Provision of collaborative economy
sharing) economy has shaken up the         experiences, especially in
travel and tourism industry around the     accommodation, is not evenly spread
world, including Scotland. Observing       across the country, being highly
these changes prompted Scottish            concentrated in cities (and in certain
Enterprise, together with the Scottish     central districts of those cities).
Government and Scottish Tourism            Whereas some platforms, such as
Alliance to explore how the Scottish       AirBnB, dominate, other sectors of the
tourism sector can seize the               collaborative economy, such as food
opportunities that the collaborative       and meals or tours and activities are
economy could bring, whilst gaining a      relatively underdeveloped, and it was
better understanding of any negative       noted that hosts, drivers, personal chefs
effects and implications for policy.       or tour guides in Scotland who are
                                           offering services in return for payment
Published in January 2018, the report      on collaborative platforms may not be
focused on five tourism related sectors:   captured in official measurements of
accommodation, transport, food &           tourism activity. This creates problems
meals, tourism & activities and on-        for analysing not only the economic
demand domestic services. Using case       contribution of the sector, but also the
studies from other cities, the report      scope to measure impacts and develop
flagged challenges, opportunities and      appropriate policies.
policy considerations for Scotland to
consider.
WorldHost® Regional Destination
Project

Linked to the priorities set out within    24,500 +
the Tourism Skills Investment Plan, the    individuals have now benefited from
WorldHost® Regional Destination            WorldHost® training which equates to
Project' and ‘Business Recognition         over £2.3m of industry investment in
Award’ were developed and launched         customer service training.
by People 1st in December 2014. The
project is supported by a network of 12
                                           14 destinations
regional steering groups, local
authorities and trade associations.        across Scotland have made the
                                           commitment to become ‘WorldHost®
With industry research repeatedly          Regional Destinations’.
highlighting shortfalls in the
consistency and quality of customer        Over 2,500
service standards across the country,      businesses are now actively using
the introduction of an internationally     WorldHost. With over 920 of them
recognised customer service training       achieving WorldHost® Business
programme which could be made              Recognition status in the process.
available nationally was welcomed.

Glasgow Welcomes

Glasgow Welcomes is a legacy
project of the 2014 Commonwealth
Games and is being used as a key tool
for the city in its preparations for
Glasgow 2018 European
Championships. The initiative aims to
ensure that all visitors to Glasgow
receive exceptional customer
service during their visit.

By 2017 more than 11,200 participants      New collaborative projects include the
(2,200 managers) and 1,035 businesses      Glasgow Welcomes Champions’
had participated in over 600               Network & Speaker Events; Learning
events/courses, including the Service      Journeys; an innovative extended
Excellence Programme. As a key             Aspiring Leaders’ Programme; a new
element of the Glasgow Tourism &           Glasgow Welcomes Service Champion
Visitor Plan to 2023, this industry-led,   Award; Young Glasgow Welcomes; a
private/public sector partnership will     Company Recognition Scheme; and
continue to deliver a number of the        training for the arrival of Accessible
Plan’s key themes, namely leadership,      Tourism 2018 Congress.
skills and service excellence.
Tourism is a people industry and investing in those who work in the sector is
essential if we are to maintain the high standards of service that visitors expect.
Scotland’s Tourism Skills Investment Plan, which is overseen by the Tourism Skills
Group, sets out the skills priorities for the sector, focusing on leadership,
professional and digital skills, customer service and the importance of tourism as a
career.

Modern Apprenticeships

Once again, the tourism sector              New Graduate Apprenticeships in
produced the 2017 Modern Apprentice         Business Management are now available
of the Year. Congratulations to Rosie       for the sector, where employees gain a
Wilkins from The Torridon.                  degree whilst working within a tourism
                                            business.
From April 2017, 2,559 people have
undertaken hospitality and travel
related Modern Apprenticeships within
the sector in Scotland.

Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland

HIT Scotland is a Scottish based charity In 2017, HIT Scotland awarded 212
which provides bursaries, scholarships scholarships and ran 24 fundraising
and other support to those looking to      events.
enter and already working in the
hospitality industry to realise their full
potential.

Springboard

Springboard is a UK charity supporting        FutureChef had a record breaking year
the tourism, hospitality and leisure          with over 5300 Scottish school children
industry by promoting it as a great           involved.
career for young people and helping           Part of the Scottish Tourism Careers
unemployed people find suitable               Festival in March 2017 saw a month long
employment within the industry.               campaign raising awareness of working
                                              in the industry using #jobswithasmile.
 Hospitality Takeover Days took place         Springboard's partnership with Diageo's
 in Scottish colleges providing over          Learning for Life programme saw 160
 800 pupils from 50+ schools the              young people trained.
 opportunity to gain first hand
 experiential industry experience.
HERITAGE
  TOURISM
Heritage Tourism 2020 (HT2020) was            One key project was the Jacobite Trail, a
launched in 2015 with a 9 point action        partnership project between HES, NTS,
plan under three themes - 2017 Ready,         National Museums of Scotland and the
Consumer Related and Industry                 Palace of Holyroodhouse which
Related overseen by the Heritage Tourism      showcased 26 of Scotland’s famous
Group (HTG).                                  Jacobite sites in one accessible trail –
                                              and secured VS Growth Fund grant
The structure of the HTG was rationalised     support.
with a strategy group comprised
of Historic Environment Scotland (HES),       The HTG was successful in a Knowledge
National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Historic   Transfer Partnership with Glasgow
Houses Scotland (HHS), Scottish Tourism       Caledonian University. This allowed a
Alliance (STA) and VisitScotland (VS) at      coordinator to be appointed in 2016 to
the table, and a product development          help facilitate the delivery of the HT2020
sub-group which spearheaded the               Action Plan. The initial focus of this
Jacobite Trail Initiative.                    coordinator was on the ‘2017 Ready’
                                              activities and included a successful
The primary focus over 2017 was               heritage tourism seminar for industry. A
delivering a range of projects and            change of personnel later in 2017 resulted
initiatives linked to the Year of History,    in activity being refocused on the Year of
Heritage and Archaeology (YHHA). These        Young People 2018, and this is ongoing.
projects were delivered via the three main
partners on the Heritage Tourism Group – Later in 2017 the HTG strategy group
HES, NTS and HHS.                          brought in a resource to undertake a mid-
                                           term review of the HT2020 strategy and
                                           action plan, considering the renewed
                                           context within which the strategy is now
                                           being delivered, and to refine HT2020 for
                                           the remaining period.
NATURE &
                                        ACTIVITIES

Marine Tourism

Since 2015, when the marine tourism         It is also an integral element in the
strategy, Awakening the Giant was           development of local area tourism
launched, awareness and understanding       development plans including Forth
of the potential of marine tourism in       Bridges, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll
Scotland has increased significantly. The   and the Isles, Fort William (OCUK), Outer
recognition of the sector as one which      Hebrides and North Ayrshire’s Making
can help enrich rural economies, create     Waves plan, and further evidenced by the
employment, celebrate and showcase          West Coast Destination Partnership
Scotland’s coastal assets has contributed   Project that will see 18 destination groups
to the announcement of the next             seek to identify growth opportunities
‘Themed Year’ being the ‘Year of Coast      from marine tourism.
and Water’.
                                            In addition at a national level:
The strategy is on government agendas,
included in Area Growth Deal                  A Marine Tourism Events Plan has
developments such as Ayrshire Coast,          identified key marine events which
Stirling and Tay Cities and is central to     could be held in Scotland;
regeneration projects in locations such       A Marine Skills Pathway Plan has been
as Ardrossan, Dundee and Stranraer.           developed in conjunction with Skills
                                              Development Scotland
                                              SailScotland continues to lead
                                              marketing activity by attendance at
                                              international boat shows and online
                                              campaigns.
Country Sports Tourism

The Scottish Country Sports Tourism
Group (SCSTG) had a very busy and fruitful
2017. VisitScotland Growth Fund support
enabled SCSTG to deliver a successful
integrated marketing campaign which
included attendance at a major
Scandinavian Game Fair and two in the UK
as well as social media activities targeting
France, Germany and Sweden. By
translating posts from English, a greater
number of people were reached and a
high number of responses received.

A familiarisation trip for European
journalists from some of the top sporting
titles in Europe was held in 2017. The
articles which will be published in 2018
will help keep Scotland as a potential
sporting destination in the minds of
European hunters and game anglers.

As well as maintaining the current interest
in Scottish sport shown by Europeans and
as outlined in the SCSTG’s strategic plan
‘Game for Growth’, the SCSTG will be
working to grow the interest in Scottish
sport from North American tourists with
the aim of increasing the value of the
sector to £185m per annum by 2020.

In spring 2018 five short sporting films
highlighting the unique aspects of Scottish
country sports will be launched. These will
feature on the SCSTG website, social media
posts and the SCSTG YouTube channel.
Golf Tourism

The Golf Tourism Development Group (GTDG) comprising 8 regional golf groups
and the key national agencies and organisations, oversee the delivery of the golf
tourism strategy, Driving Forward Together.

Key initiatives during 2017 include:

  New research published in April 2017,       A mid-term review of the national
  commissioned by VisitScotland and           golf tourism strategy 2013-20 “Driving
  Scottish Enterprise, showed that the        Forward Together” is underway and
  economic value of golf tourism and          due to be completed shortly. The
  events to Scotland has soared to £286       review will check progress; to
  million following a bumper decade in        consider changes in the wider market
  Scotland. This is an increase of 30%        environment; to make evidence-
  (£66 million) since 2008, supporting        based decisions on any changes
  4,700 jobs and spreading benefits           required – either to the strategy itself,
  across the country’s golfing regions.       associated action plans or the
                                              approach to delivery and monitoring;
                                              and to identify key priorities for
                                              remainder of the strategy period.

  Now in its 2nd year, the Scottish Golf Tourism Week funded by VisitScotland and
  Scottish Enterprise is emerging as a globally significant “meet the buyer” event. The
  event is designed to assist Scottish-based tourism businesses, particularly 2nd tier
  golf clubs, who do not currently have the resources to attend trade shows
  overseas. Over 80 golf tour operators from 39 countries engaged with 70+ Scottish
  golf tourism businesses. A total of 3,500 appointments took place during the week-
  long event together with 70 familiarisation trips and the Scottish Golf Tourism
  Awards Gala Dinner.
Mountain Biking Tourism

Mountain biking tourism in Scotland
continued to grow across Scotland in 2017.
There was an increase in riders at trail
centres, growth in events and the largest
ever number of spectators at the UCI
Downhill World Cup held in Fort William.

Other key initiatives and developments
include:

World Class Facilities: New trails were
launched in Edinburgh, Inverness, Fort
William, Tweed Valley and Lochore
Meadows, Fife. Comrie Croft in Perthshire
was voted the UK’s no.1 mountain biking trail
centre by mountain bike website iBikeRide.

World Class Events: The UCI Mountain Bike
Downhill World Cup was held for the 16th
continuous year in Fort William and was
awarded best sporting event in 2017 at the
Scottish Thistle Awards. TweedLove bikefest
continued to grow in 2017 and hosted an
international enduro event and the UK’s
largest bike demo event. No Fuss Events
hosted the UK’s only Enduro World Series
Qualifier in Kinlochleven.

Attracting New Visitors & New Customers:
Interactive trail maps and guides were
downloaded in record numbers and there
was improved marketing through
VisitScotland. Scottish mountain biking was
showcased at Eurobike (world’s largest bike
show), VisitScotland Expo, Fort William MTB
DH World Cup, Scottish Cycling and Scottish
Running & Outdoor Pursuits Show.

Creating a Sustainable Tourism Product: the
‘Take Care of Your Trails’ weekend featured
277 volunteers in 17 different trail
crews who were given over £1500 worth of
prizes and support from Scottish businesses.
BUSINESS
EVENTS
Business events are seen as a key strand     In November 2017, VisitScotland Business
of Tourism Scotland 2020. The Business       Events launched their first digital
Tourism for Scotland group who oversee       marketing campaign, Project Legend.
the activity, have outlined their ambition   Using #IdeasBecomeLegends and
for the sector which is to increase spend    working with Scotland’s convention
by at least £400m by 2020.                   bureaux, the campaign uses each city’s
                                             strengths by building relationships with
The role of business events as a             industry, academics and industry
mechanism to help support economic           ambassadors to attract further
growth is a message that has been            conferences and events to Scotland. In
gathering increasing momentum in             the first four months, there have been
recent months. A successful Business         29m impressions and 7260 mentions,
Events Leaders Summit held in Glasgow        more significantly 4 events have been
in March 2018 and organised by               confirmed as a result, with an estimated
Eventsbase focused on this theme.            value of £202,000.

Through closer partnership working           At a regional level, work continues on the
between VisitScotland Business Events        new AECC in Aberdeen which will open
and Scottish Enterprise, a more cohesive     in March 2019. In October a new business
approach to identifying and attracting       events campaign #makeitedinburgh was
targeted high value international            launched in Edinburgh, together with a
business events to Scotland is emerging.     new Business Events Opportunities
This will help to fully exploit broader      Guide, aimed at tourism business outwith
economic opportunities in more niche         the business tourism sphere. Business
areas such as Fintech, Subsea and Low        events is now firmly established within
Carbon as well as provide an                 the Glasgow Tourism & Visitor Strategy. In
international platform to showcase           Dundee, the city awaits the opening of
Scotland’s expertise in these areas.         the new V&A Dundee in Autumn 2018.
DESTINATIONS
TOWNS & CITIES                                                                            25

                                                                                20

Using the ‘rocket’ as a national
framework has proved a highly
effective approach, allowing for
the alignment of activities, such          21                       13
as the VisitScotland’s Growth                                28
Fund and the emerging Industry
Barometer, and providing                                                        19
opportunities for destinations to
work together and share
experiences under one common                                                    5
                                                                                               1
approach.                                                    17

There are now 28 destination                                                         7
strategies that are directly                                                    22
aligned to the national tourism                                      16              11
                                                                           26
strategy.
                                                        2
                                                                      23 12 10 9    8
                                                                    14     15 27 18
1. Aberdeen City & Shire
                                                            4         3
2. Argyll & the Isles
3. Ayrshire                                                                         24
4. Arran
5. Cairngorms National Park   17. Lochaber
                                                                     6
6. Dumfries & Galloway        18. Midlothian
7. Dundee                     19. Moray Speyside
8. East Lothian               20. Orkney
9. Edinburgh                  21. Outer Hebrides
10. Falkirk                   22. Perthshire
11. Fife                      23. Renfrewshire
12. Glasgow                   24. Scottish Borders*
13. Highlands                 25. Shetland*
14. Inverclyde                26. Stirling*
15. Lanarkshire               27. West Lothian
16. Loch Lomond & Trossachs   28. Wester Ross

                                    * Regions are under review or
                                    in development
It’s All About the Place
      and the People, Glasgow

102 delegates attended Scotland’s first
conference specifically for destination
organisations and leaders. The event
focused on the range of activities being
delivered within destinations and
encouraged greater networking and
collaboration between groups. Feedback
was positive and a similar event will be
held as part of Scottish Tourism Month
2018.

      Tourism Destination                        VisitScotland Growth
      Development Fund                           Fund

The Scottish Enterprise Tourism            VisitScotland’s Growth Fund supports
Destination Development Fund (TDDF)        collaborative tourism marketing
was developed in response to industry      projects which focus on growth in the
demand for a more inclusive approach to    tourism sector and ensure that visitors
destination development support. TDDF      experience the true Spirit of Scotland.
was set up to attract groups of
businesses who could deliver a well-       In the 2017/18 financial year there were
planned and strategically aligned          13 successful applicant groups and a
destination development project that       total of £369,925 was awarded in grants,
enhances the quality of the visitor        which supported marketing activity
experience and increases visitor spend.    across the country to the value of
                                           £739,650.
In 2017 the second round of applications
was awarded to the following five new      The previous changes to the
projects, all of which demonstrated an     programme (including streamlining the
ambition to internationalise, improve      process and making sure that the
leadership skills and enhance growth       criteria for applications is focused on
through innovation:                        digital content creation and promotion)
                                           has enabled groups to create high
                                           quality content assets, build their
  Midlothian & Borders Tourism
                                           digital presence and promote their
  Action Group
                                           region or sector in the most effective
  Cairngorms Snow Roads Scenic
                                           way.
  Route Development
  Love Loch Lomond
  Cruise Forth
  Glasgow Canal
THE BIG FIVE
QUESTIONS
The Big Five Questions brings              YOUR CUSTOMERS
together the most relevant                 Do you want to understand more
tourism business advice, tools and         about your customers?
resources in one place. Put simply,
it helps tourism businesses do             YOUR DIGITAL
business better.                           Do you want to be smarter online?

The campaign was specifically created      YOUR COSTS
to highlight existing support available
                                           Do you want to find ways to reduce
around the tourism strategy’s Mid-
Term Review priorities.                    costs and grow your bottom line?

It aims to translate the strategic         YOUR PEOPLE
priorities into a format which is easily
                                           Do you want to develop your team
accessible to industry.
                                           to grow our business?
There is a wealth of support available
for tourism businesses (and much of it     YOUR VOICE
is free!) so please do help us champion    Do you want to help grow tourism
the Big Five Questions to businesses
                                           in your area?
you work with where possible.

                                              www.scottishtourismalliance.co.uk
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