Supplier FAQs
Event Registration
When does the event take place?
- Wednesday 15 April 2026 from 9am - 5pm
- Thursday 16 April 2026 from 9am - 3:30pm
How do I register?
How much does it cost to attend?
Who can take part in this event?
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?
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?
How long is a meeting?
Every meeting is scheduled to last 12 minutes.
Will there be an Event Dinner I can take part in?
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?
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?
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.