Press release -
Exporting Scotland to the world!
With just six weeks to go until VisitScotland’s expo in Aberdeen, it has been announced that this year will welcome at least 32 brand new exhibitors to Scotland’s biggest travel trade event.
In comparison with 2014’s expo in Glasgow at the SECC, there will be at least a 33% increase in new exhibitors.
Annandale Distillery in Dumfries & Galloway, who produce two styles of whisky that honour Robert Burns and Robert The Bruce will be in attendance to market their £10.5 million whisky-making centre and visitor attraction. Other first time exhibitors include Trump International Golf Links, the Inverness & Loch Ness Tourism BID (the first tourism BID in the UK), Peel Farm, one of Scotland’s first bio-diversified farms and Scotland’s Golf Coast.
More than £24 million worth of business is likely to be conducted over the two days which takes place at Aberdeen’s AECC 22-23 April 2015. Scotland will be promoted by over 200 businesses from across the country with a Scottish tourism product to highlight. Of the 200, at least 32 businesses from across Scotland will be exhibiting for the very first time.
Last year’s event in Glasgow saw over 6,700 appointments and a recent study conducted in 2012 found that hosting expo could be worth around £1.7 million for the local economy. It is hoped that hosting this year’s expo in the Granite City will provide the same economic boost.
Recently it was announced that Aberdeenshire Council and VisitAberdeen were official destination partners at this year’s VisitScotland expo. The 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.
Tourism businesses from across Scotland will be there to showcase the very best that Scotland has to offer, including everything from our food and drink and accommodation to entertainment, culture, great outdoors and visitor attractions.
The main event will be attended by almost 380 hosted international buyers and over 200 hand-picked UK based buyers which includes tour operators, wholesalers, travel agents and travel media.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland said:
“VisitScotland expo is an invaluable opportunity for Scottish businesses to meet face to face with tour operators from across the globe, bringing the chance to meet new contacts, negotiate new deals and learn new ways of doing business.
“It’s absolutely brilliant news to be welcoming at least 32 new exhibitors who have never been to expo before. As the country’s biggest travel trade event, this is the chance to see the whole of Scotland under one roof. With only six weeks to go now, this year’s event, the 36th staging of expo, at the AECC in the wonderful city of Aberdeen is shaping up to be one of the best ones yet!”
Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said:
“Since it was first held in 1980, VisitScotland expo, the country’s biggest travel trade event, continues to be a key date in the tourism calendar. This event gives our international visitors a flavour of all Scotland has to offer as well as providing a significant boost to the country’s world-class tourism economy.
“I am confident that this year, the Year of Food and Drink, we will continue to build on the momentum created in 2014 and on the long term benefits brought to Scotland by Homecoming 2014, the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, building a strong, high quality experience that visitors will remember and that will keep them returning to Scotland for many years to come.”
For more information on VisitScotland expo see http://www.visitscotlandexpo.com/
Full list of new exhibitors as of 11 March 2015:
- Annandale Distillery
- Caledonian Discovery Ltd
- Carrbridge Hotel
- CKD Galbraith Sporting Lets
- Clearly Scotland
- Dolphin Discovery
- Clyde Coast Tourism Ltd
- Global Treasure Apps
- Goldenhaven Ltd
- Great Glen Ways
- HAGGiS Adventures
- Inverness & Loch Ness Tourism BID
- Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre
- LHH Ltd
- Moray Speyside Tourism
- Open Road Scotland
- Outdoor Capital
- Paisley First
- Peel Farm
- Perth City Centre Management
- Rosslyn Chapel
- Scotland’s Churches Trust – The Pilgrim Journeys Project
- Scotland’s Golf Coast
- Spirit of Scotland Show
- Splendid Hospitality Group
- The Rutland Hotel and Apartments
- Tour Skye Ltd
- Trump International Golf Links, Scotland
- Uniquely Scotland
- Viajar Por Escocia/Scozia Tour – TA Scotland Ltd
- Wow Scotland Tours
- Village Urban Resort Edinburgh
For further information contact:
Jack Gorman
Corporate Press Officer
Tel: 0131 472 2283
jack.gorman@visitscotland.com
Out of hours media enquiries: 07699 766986
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- visitscotland expo
- corporate communications
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
