VisitScotland international buyers event will help Highlands bounce back post-Covid
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Scotland's tourism businesses will find it easier to connect with key buyers from around the globe with the launch of VisitScotland's Discover Scotland 2022 event series.
Comprising an online business-to-business event with five regional showcases, Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022 will take place virtually on from April 5 to 7m 2022.
The five regional showcases, known as Discover Scotland: Live Showcase, will then be held in May and September 2022. Together, these events will promote trade-ready Scottish tourism businesses to key international buyers on the ground in Scotland.
The longstanding annual VisitScotland Expo will be replaced with a new format designed to mitigate the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, build on the success of Scotland Reconnect 20/21 and welcome international buyers back to Scotland with regional showcases.
Discover Scotland 2022 will also support VisitScotland’s commitment to make the country a leading destination for responsible tourism by showcasing new and existing sustainable tourism products directly to key international and UK buyers.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive, said: “Discover Scotland 2022 offers an exciting new platform on which to showcase the best of Scotland’s tourism products, allowing businesses to stay connected with qualified buyers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have worked with tourism industry representatives to ensure that this travel trade programme of activity meets their needs in 2022 and ensures that connection to international buyers remains possible - it is something we are very much looking forward to delivering.
“We fully support the Scottish tourism industry and are committed to helping businesses recover from the Covid-19 pandemic by providing opportunities for them to network with tour operators and travel agents from all over the world, both online and on location.
“The challenges of the pandemic have given us the opportunity to reconsider the way we deliver events; Discover Scotland has been designed to meet the needs of the tourism industry in 2022 and ensure that connecting with buyers remains possible through a new programme of activity.
“Our international visitors are hugely important for Scottish tourism and we have continued to engage virtually with those markets throughout the pandemic, encouraging visitors to ‘dream now, travel later.”
Last November's Scotland Reconnect virtual event was successfully repeated in April 2021 as an effective alternative to live events during the pandemic. More than 7000 pre-arranged business meetings took place over the three days in April.
In April 2022, VisitScotland anticipates virtual attendance from around 300 buyers from more than 20 markets and attendance by 300 Scottish suppliers for Discover Scotland 2022.
For more information visit: www.visitscotland.com/discoverscotland
