Chris Foy's presentation from the Aberdeenshire Rural Tourism Seminar on VisitAberdeenshire's tourism & destination strategy.

1. Destination Aberdeen &
Aberdeenshire
TOURISM STRATEGY

2. 2018 to 2023
OUR MISSION
“Together, we will develop the visitor economy to
provide a sustainable contribution to the prosperity
of North East Scotland”
OUR AMBITION
“We aim to grow visitor spend to
£1 billion per year by 2023”
ACTIONS GUIDED BY OUR PRINCIPLES:
Sustainable growth ǀ Leadership ǀ Governance
Employment ǀ Collaboration

3. TRENDS SHAPING TOURISM DEMAND IN
ABERDEENSHIRE
Shorter breaks,
more often
More international
visitors
Diverse
visitor profiles
Seeking disconnection
from a chaotic world
Active holidays in
nature's playgrounds
Freedom on the road:
fluid itinerary travel
Discovering honest
authenticity
Tech everywhere:
keeping up with digital
tech change

4. OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR REGION
We have capacity to meet increasing demand for Scotland
Our products are well aligned with consumer trends
Major new assets are on the way in 2019 and 2020
We have many existing ‘assets’ that can be turned into
great experiences

5. UNDERSTANDING OUR VISITORS
Home Turf
78% 22%
Domestic International
Near Neighbours
Tactical Opportunities

6. BUILDING OUR
COMPETITIVE
STRENGTHS
Food &
Drink
Business
Events
Cruise
Culture,
Heritage
& Events
Golf
Touring &
Great
Outdoors
Brand
Scotland
Space
to GrowAmbition
RuralTourism

7. Why this is a competitive strength
 Visitors increasingly seek to discover
a destination through its food &
drink
 We have many signature food &
drink products that can spark
interest in our region, its produce
and traditions
 Food & drink experiences often
attract a premium and go well with
the other products that we offer
FOOD & DRINK

8. 99
Why touring and the great outdoors
are a competitive strength:
 Aberdeenshire has outstanding
countryside and coastal scenery,
which visitors cite as their number
one reason for visiting
 Aberdeenshire offers a large supply
of accommodation and capacity for
growth, attracting visitors from
more crowded parts of Scotland
TOURING ANDTHE GREAT OUTDOORS

9. THE WAY FORWARD
PRIORITIES

10. INSPIRE AND ATTRACT VISITORS
Strengthen and diversify the Aberdeenshire offer in the minds of
actual and potential visitors
Ensure that the ‘Destination Aberdeenshire’ brand is consistent with
the visitor experience and local sentiment
 Continually monitor the drivers of tourism growth in Aberdeenshire,
and how the destination’s competitive position can be improved
Research further to understand what each market is looking for
Build relations with the travel trade & influencers here and overseas
Build loyalty among existing visitors

11. DEVELOP A GREAT VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Develop experiences that encourage visitors to explore the full territory of
Aberdeenshire all year round
Improve visibility and distribution of our products online and offline
Focus on transport connectivity with our key markets and aroundAberdeenshire
Build digital connectivity to help visitors navigate and connect with businesses
Achieve optimal use of Aberdeenshire’s accommodation resources
Ensure that development is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable
Raise the quality of employment in tourism and attractiveness as a career

12. MEASURING PROGRESS
GVA Hospitality Sector Day Visitor Spend
Inbound Visitor Numbers (Overnight) Average Saturday Night RevPar
UK Visitor Numbers (Overnight) Perceptions Survey
Inbound Visitor Spend (Overnight) Visitor Survey
UK Visitor Spend (overnight) Stakeholder Readiness Survey

13. Delivery - A collective effort
Develop a great visitor
experience
Inspire and attract visitors
with our story
Food &
Drink
Cruise Business
Events
Culture,
Heritage &
Events
Golf Touring &
Great
Outdoors
ACTION PLANS
DELIVERY
PARTNERS
ACSHA
Tourism
Businesses
of North
East
Scotland