Local tourism businesses in digital drive to promote Moray Speyside to world at Scotland Reconnect 2021
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MORAY Speyside tourism businesses were among hundreds from across Scotland who attended a virtual trade event last month aimed at reconnecting with global tour operators and travel agents.
More than 7000 online business meetings were held at the Scotland Reconnect 2021 event, organised and run by VisitScotland, over three days at the end of April.
Around 390 buyers from 26 countries connected online with almost 300 Scottish suppliers to generate bookings and build tour packages for future visitors.
Visit Moray Speyside, along with Blervie House at Rafford, Forres, and Cullen's Seafield Arms Hotel all took part.
The region's unique landscape, history, food and drink and culture were showcased to buyers by Visit Moray Speyside.
The aim of Scotland Reconnect 2021 is to enable Scottish businesses to connect digitally with buyers from around the globe and accelerate the recovery of the country’s tourism industry.
Around 600 delegates attended each day, where they could hear about new tourism product offerings, trends like agritourism and adventure tourism and VisitScotland’s drive towards responsible tourism.
Buyers from the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Australia and Brazil were in attendance, as well as London-based inbound operators representing the Japanese and Chinese markets.
Jo Robinson, VisitScotland regional director, said: "This event has once again proven a great success at a time when reconnecting our tourism businesses from across Moray Speyside with tour operators and travel agents in vital international markets has never been so important.
"This last 12 months have been devastating for tourism across the world, but hopefully as travel restrictions ease we can begin to plan some brilliant new Moray Speyside-based programmes, products and itineraries for our international operators.
"I understand some fantastic and very valuable new connections have been made during the many one-to-one Scotland Reconnect appointments and I hope our buyers were both inspired and informed about the great opportunities in this area through the regional destination showcases and panellist sessions."
Laurie Piper, Visit Moray Speyside chief executive, said: "With Covid-19 continuing to prevent physical attendance at travel shows, Scotland Reconnect offered Visit Moray Speyside an invaluable means to connect with key buyers, update them on developments in the region and put down a marker for the months and years ahead, above all, making sure Moray Speyside is on their radar and making sure interest in our incredible region is maintained as we emerge from the pandemic."
