Key takeaways from Scotland’s Signature tourism event

The culmination of Scottish Tourism Month is the Scottish Tourism Alliance’s Signature event. This year the proceedings were very much overshadowed by the war in the Middle East where NatWest said the war has led to an extremely quickly moving situation. Immediate ramifications include the price of gas that has doubled since the conflict, more so than oil. UK consumers are hence cautious and sensitive to rising cost of living pressures once again.

After a resounding group singalong of ‘500 miles’, there was a discussion between global brands including Booking.com, Airbnb, Get Your Guide and Trip.com. The latter discussed the 3Es – events, the elderly and experiential demand for culturally rich and immersive experiences. GYG commented on how consumers are interested in workshops and food tours, but under the surface it’s the human element in the centre.

Interestingly, Trip.com spoke of the disappearance of the booking window due to AI, where they saw usage of AI up by 400% over the past year for end-to-end digital visibility and personalisation. Airbnb saw nature-based stays as popular, whilst value for money is key for consumers. This segment is a driver for off season demand, which is a great lever for sustainable dispersal of visitor revenues.  The panel host VisitScotland highlighted the multitouch point, non-linear customer journey that is heavily influenced by lifestyle.

When it comes to world class hospitality, speakers covered Scottish award-winning brands such as Panda & Sons, The Globe Inn, Heritage Portfolio and the Fife Arms. Advice focused on the critical importance of people behind every successful hospitality business:

·       Passion, work ethic and love of what your people do must be maintained

·       Authenticity and perseverance are key

·       Don’t be complacent and use your people as ambassadors

·       Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Travel writer and speaker, Doug Lanskly, ended the day with a run through of the latest destination innovation, from sauna gondolas, glass igloos in Finland, visitor loos in the Netherlands, overstay checkout in Australia to accessible beaches in Denmark. On a serious note, he warned about the issue of leakage, referring to some companies as the Pirates of the Caribbean for taking tourism revenues away from local communities.

One thing for certain, the future of Scottish tourism will be far from bland with such case studies to take inspiration from.