Overview
When marketing your business or event to tourists, it is most effective to team up with other local and regional businesses. This creates a 'buzz' around your area and allows you to promote the benefits, activities and attractions that are specific to your region.
This concept is called destination marketing - a type of marketing that promotes a particular destination to increase visitors.
Throughout Scotland, all the Local Authority areas have their own destination marketing representatives.
VisitScotland support
VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism organisation and provides industry leading advice, opportunities and information in the area of tourism. General advice and information for businesses can be found on their corporate website VisitScotland.org
As part of their service, VisitScotland also provide Industry Relationship Managers (IRMs) for each region, who form the first port of call for Scottish businesses looking for personalised advice and support in tourism. The IRMs can help with anything from identifying your audience, providing tailored business surgeries, and developing your digital marketing. For further information and the contact details of each of the IRMs, see the VisitScotland IRM page.
You can find further information on the specific activity VisitScotland has been coordinating in your region by reading their 'Delivering for' documents.
Other support
As well as VisitScotland, there are a range of other organisations that operate within destination marketing. Primarily these are organisations of two types:
Business Improvement Districts
This is formed when a group of local businesses get together and invest collectively to support their area's tourism industry.
For more information and a list of all Business Improvement Districts, visit the Scotland's Improvement Districts website.
Destination Management Organisation/Company
These are organisations that represent a destination and help to develop their long term travel and tourism strategy.
Contacts by region
The organisations outlined here are a mixture of types of organisation. Some are more commercial and others less so. We would suggest visiting their website and researching the organisation prior to getting in touch. If you are unsure of how to progress, speak to your local VistScotland IRM.
ABERDEEN & ABERDEENSHIRE
VisitAberdeenshire
Coordinator: Aberdeen City Council/Aberdeenshire Council
Contact: 01224 900490 or info@visitabdn.com
ANGUS
VisitAngus
Coordinator: Angus Council
Contact: Millie Clarke 01307 473262 or clarkem@angus.gov.uk
ARGYLL & THE ISLES
Wild About Argyll/Explore Argyll
Coordinator: Argyll & the Isles Tourism Cooperative
Local areas include: Oban and Lorn (email subscriptions@oban.org.uk); Heart of Argyll & Inveraray; Bute and Cowal; Mull and Iona; Kintyre and Gigha; Islay, Jura and Colonsay
Contact: For contact information for the individual local agents email admin@exploreargyll.co.uk
Love Loch Lomond
Coordinator: Love Loch Lomond
Due to the large area Loch Lomond and the Trossachs represent, this listing is also included in the Stirling and West Dunbartonshire sections.
Contact: manager@lovelochlomond.com
AYRSHIRE & ARRAN
Note: South Ayrshire is also covered separately
Ayrshire and Arran Tourism
Coordinator: South Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Council, East Ayrshire Council
Contact: Register through website
VisitArran
Coordinator: Arran Trust
Contact: 01770 302043 or info@arrantrust.org
CLACKMANNANSHIRE
Discover Clackmannanshire
Coordinator: Tourism Group for Clackmannanshire
Contact: discoverclackmannanshire@hotmail.com.
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY
Visit South West Scotland (NOTE: also serves South Ayrshire)
Coordinator: Visit South West Scotland
Contact: info@VisitSouthWestScotland.com
DUNDEE
Dundee
Coordinator: Dundee City Council/ One City Many Discoveries Marketing Campaign
Contact: Jennifer Caswell, Campaign Manager 01382 434252 or contact@dundee.com
EAST DUMBARTONSHIRE
Visit East Dumbartonshire
Coordinator: East Dumbartonshire Tourism Partnership/East Dumbartonshire Council
Contact: through website
EAST LOTHIAN
Visit East Lothian
Coordinator: East Lothian Council
Contact: through website
EDINBURGH
This is Edinburgh
Coordinator: Marketing Edinburgh
Paid membership
Contact: Head of Member Services 0131 473 3666 or hillary.bett@marketingedinburgh.org
FALKIRK
VisitFalkirk
Coordinator: Falkirk Council/Falkirk Area Tourism Partnership
Contact: 01324 590960 or visitfalkirk@falkirk.gov.uk
FIFE
Welcome to Fife
Coordinator: VisitFife/Fife Tourism Partnership
Contact: 03451 555555 ext 445838 or promoting.fife@fife.gov.uk
GLASGOW
People Make Glasgow
Coordinator: Glasgow Life/Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Contact: Membership Manager anne-marie.gray@glasgowlife.org.uk
HIGHLANDS
VisitInvernessLochNess
Coordinator: VisitInvernessLochNess (Business Improvement District)
Contact: through website
North Coast 500
Coordinator: North Coast 500 Ltd
Area covered: North Highland Coast – Black Isle, Caithness, Easter Ross, Inverness-shire, Sutherland, Wester Ross
Contact: 01463 229 849 or enquiries@northcoast500.com
Visit Cairngorms
Coordinator: Cairngorms National Park
Contact: office@visitcairngorms.com
Outdoor Capital of the UK
Coordinator: Lochaber Chamber of Commerce
Contact: 01397 705765 or membership@lochaberchamber.co.uk
INVERCLYDE
Discover Inverclyde
Coordinator: Inverclyde Council/Local Tourism Partnership
Contact: ???
MIDLOTHIAN
Visit Midlothian
Coordinator: Midlothian Tourism Forum
Contact: Simon Beattie, Rosslyn Chapel on simon@rosslynchapel.com
MORAY
MoraySpeyside
Coordinator: Moray Chamber of Commerce
Contact: info@morayspeyside.com or laurie@morayspeyside.com or 01343 610 383
NORTH LANARKSHIRE
Visit Lanarkshire (NOTE – also includes South Lanarkshire)
Coordinator: Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership
Contact: thomsonje@northlan.gov.uk
ORKNEY
Orkney.com
Coordinator: Orkney Islands Council/Orkney Tourism Group
Contact: info@orkney.com or admin@visitorkney.com
PERTH & KINROSS
Perth City/City of Perth
Coordinator: Perth and Kinross Council
Contact: 01738 475727 or 01738 475728
VisitCrieff
Coordinator: Crieff Succeeds BID Ltd
Contact: 07412 847098 or david.crieffsucceeds@gmail.com
RENFREWSHIRE
LiveRenfrewshire
Coordinator: Live Renfrewshire
Contact: iain.shepherd@liverenfrewshire.co.uk or 07538 037 957
Paisley First
Coordinator: Paisley First
Contact: ask@paisleyfirst.com or 0141 237 8120
SCOTTISH BORDERS
Scottish Borders Tourism Partnership
Coordinator: Scottish Borders Tourism Partnership
Contact: enquiries@scottishborderstourismpartnership.co.uk
SHETLAND
Shetland
Coordinator: Shetland Islands Council
Contact: 01595 98 98 98 or info@shetland.org
SOUTH AYRSHIRE
Visit South West Scotland (NOTE: also serves Dumfries & Galloway)
Coordinator: Visit South West Scotland
Contact: info@VisitSouthWestScotland.com
SOUTH LANARKSHIRE
Visit Lanarkshire (NOTE – also includes North Lanarkshire)
Coordinator: Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership
Contact: thomsonje@northlan.gov.uk
STIRLING
Your Stirling
Coordinator: Your Stirling
Contact: enquiries@yourstirling.com
Love Loch Lomond
Coordinator: Love Loch Lomond
Due to the large area Loch Lomond and the Trossachs represent, this listing is also included in the Argyll & The Isles and West Dunbartonshire sections.
Contact: manager@lovelochlomond.com
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE
West Dunbartonshire Council
Coordinator: West Dunbartonshire Council
Contact: via website
Love Loch Lomond
Coordinator: Love Loch Lomond
Due to the large area Loch Lomond and the Trossachs represent, this listing is also included in the Stirling and Argyll & The Isles sections.
Contact: manager@lovelochlomond.com
WESTERN ISLES
Visit Outer Hebrides
Also have an industry website
Coordinator: Outer Hebrides Tourism
Contact: Rob McKinnon, Chief Executive rob@outerhebridestourism.org or 07808 098860, Mairi Thomson, Tourism Development Officer mairi@outerhebridestourism.org or 07717 283012
WEST LOTHIAN
Visit West Lothian
Coordinator: Visit West Lothian
Contact: Callum Findlay on callum.findlay@westlothian.gov.uk