Supplier FAQs

If your question cannot be answered by these FAQs, please contact the VisitScotland Connect 2026 Team and a member of the team will be happy to assist.

Event Registration

When does the event take place?

VisitScotland Connect 2026 will be taking place at the SEC – Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow on April 15 and 16. 

  • Wednesday 15 April 2026 from 9am - 5pm
  • Thursday 16 April 2026 from 9am - 3:30pm

How do I register?

When registration opens in September 2025, Scottish suppliers are invited to apply for a space via the registration link on our event website. All registrations are subject to approval by VisitScotland. We aim to approve applications within 5 working days.


How much does it cost to attend?

Pricing for 2026 event will be confirmed later this summer.

Who can take part in this event?

Scottish tourism businesses that are offering a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates. Eligible businesses must either be based in Scotland or have a Scottish office. They will also need to have staff at hand that is experienced in working with UK and international trade buyers, and have a listing on www.visitscotlandtraveltrade.com.

DMOs and local authorities interested in registering will need to have staff that are experienced in working with UK and international travel trade and can fully represent the destination. Eligible DMOs will need to be up-to-date with their region and businesses who are trade-ready and be fully prepared to engage with buyers to help develop relevant programmes for the buyers' clients for the regions.

We anticipate a high level of interest in this event and ask Scottish suppliers to apply early to avoid disappointment. 

All buyers are subject to approval by our market teams. Criteria for buyer attendance is that they are a contractor or product developer.  

Why should my business consider taking part in this event?

In 2024, international visitors made 4.4 million trips to Scotland with 30.8 million nights and £3.9 billion spent overall. When compared with the same period in 2023, volume of international trips and value of spend had increased while volume of nights decreased.

Total spend was 51% greater versus 2019 (in nominal terms) and 7% greater versus 2023 (in nominal terms). Taking inflation into account, total spend was 22% greater versus 2019 and 5% greater versus 2023.

The average duration of trips to Scotland during the reporting period was 7.0 nights, with an average spend per night of £125 and average spend per trip of £880.

The North American market showed the largest increase in visits compared to 2023, while the European market showed the largest increase in spend.

Read the full details on the International Tourism Statistics 2024.

We advise that you consider working with different routes to market as over 50% of overseas visitors book their leisure holidays through an intermediary channel, e. g. an Online Travel Agent (OTA), high street tour operator, travel agent or advisor. Having a mix of revenue streams is good business practice as it ensures that you will be less vulnerable to economic fluctuation.

There are numerous benefits of working with the domestic and international travel trade. These include:

  • improving visitor management throughout the year, by extending the season and growing business at times you might usually be quiet
  • lesser-known attractions and products can be promoted more easily, especially internationally
  • contracting business up to 24 months before a visitor arrives in Scotland
  • working with intermediaries will broaden your customer base
  • increasing your visitor reach beyond your own website and marketing budget capacity
  • building a regular stream of income from different sources by distributing through intermediaries in addition to the direct business you receive

VisitScotland Connect provides a one-stop opportunity to engage with travel trade representatives from domestic and international visitor markets, build business relationships with new and existing contacts and grow your business via intermediary channels.

What if my business is new to working with travel trade and has never attended a B2B event before?

Please contact connect@visitscotland.com. We are happy to schedule a phone call and discuss any questions you may have before embarking on your travel trade journey.

What if I don't qualify to attend?

Please contact connect@visitscotland.com. The team will be happy to discuss any questions you may have about eligibility for attendance at VisitScotland Connect 2026.


Event Days & Meeting Schedules

My event registration was approved. What do I do next?

Once you have been approved for a space at VisitScotland Connect, you will be able to access your Supplier Portal. Here you can update your company profile, upload digital collateral, e. g. product fact sheets, and add an additional member of staff to join you at the event. You can also pay the event attendance fee, and research and arrange meetings with buyers. The meeting diary will open in February 2026. 

Can suppliers meet someone from a VisitScotland Market Team?

Yes, Scottish suppliers can request to speak with a market representative if need be. However, we recommend that suppliers use their time at the event to maximise their meetings with buyers. If you want to meet with someone from our market team, please reach out to the VisitScotland Connect 2026 Event Team and we can arrange this for you out with the live event.

How many meeting diaries are there?

There is one meeting diary per Scottish Supplier.

Will you offer fam trips for buyers and how can I take part in this?

Yes, as part of VisitScotland Connect 2026 a fam trip programme will be offered to eligible buyers. You are welcome to note your interest in becoming a fam trip host as part of your event registration. Please note that due to the expected volume of businesses requesting to support a fam trip, logistics and timings, we are not able to guarantee that all businesses will be added to the fam trip programme.

How long is a meeting?

Every meeting is scheduled to last 12 minutes.

Will there be an Event Dinner I can take part in?

Yes, as part of VisitScotland Connect 2026 there will be an Event Dinner on Wednesday 15 April. Details will be shared in our event programme communications closer to the event.

Can I show videos in my meeting?

You may find it helpful to bring a laptop or mobile device with you to support your pitch to the buyer. However, focusing on a personal one to one conversation will allow you to find out more about what the buyer is looking for and answer any questions they may have. The event venue might also be quite noisy, which may have an impact on video quality.


How do I make an appointment?

Both buyers and Scottish suppliers can request appointments via their event portals. Meeting diaries will open in February 2026 with instructions on how to request and accept meetings with buyers shared in due course.

Can suppliers meet with other Scottish-based businesses?

Scottish suppliers can meet with other suppliers throughout the event days. However, we recommend that suppliers make use of available meeting slots to meet with buyers and catch up with other Scottish-based businesses during coffee and lunch breaks.

How many staff members can attend from one business?

A standard meeting table includes up to two staff members as part of the event attendance fee. You can register a second staff member via the Supplier Portal once your application to attend VisitScotland Connect 2026 has been approved.

Can suppliers bring pop-up banners with them?

Due to the logistics of the workshop format, suppliers are not allowed to bring pop-ups with them.  If you do bring a pop-up along to the event you will be asked to remove it by our events team.

How many meetings can I expect to receive?

A standard meeting table includes up to two staff members as part of the event attendance fee. You can register a second staff member via the Supplier Portal once your application to attend VisitScotland Connect 2026 has been approved.

This can vary, however it depends on how you plan and manage your diary in advance of the event. On average, you could have 18-20 meetings a day. Meeting times just before the lunch and coffee breaks are for non-scheduled drop-ins. During these times interested buyers can meet with you on a first come first serve basis.

Please get in touch with the VisitScotland Connect 2026 Event Team if you need support in finding the right contacts when meeting diaries open in February 2026.