By James Trimble
Copyright falkirkherald
VisitScotland Connect 2026, supported by Visit Glasgow, will be held for the first time in the city next year at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and registration is now open. The event is a key part of the national tourism and event organisation’s activity to drive the visitor economy by increasing Scotland’s share of global tourism. A total of 15 organisations from Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire attended this year’s event at P&J Live in Aberdeen, where Scottish tourism businesses met with travel intermediaries. These included tour operators and travel agents who plan trips to Scotland for their clients across the globe, including in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the UK domestic market. These operators help promote a spread of destinations and can ensure Forth Valley is included in travel itineraries for the coming years and that the holiday offering continues to evolve and fit the demands of the modern traveller. Falkirk Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: “VisitScotland Connect gave us a valuable platform to showcase the Falkirk and Forth Valley area to key international travel trade representatives. “Many were familiar with highlights like The Kelpies and Stirling Castle, but unaware of the wider offer such as walking and cycling routes to heritage sites, farm experiences, and local food. “By attending as ‘Scotland’s Forth Valley’ alongside Stirling and Clackmannanshire, we presented a more joined-up picture of the area. Its location between Edinburgh and Glasgow makes it a strong option for day visits or overnight stays as part of longer Scottish tours. “The event also underlined the growing importance of the international market, and the role the travel trade plays in helping visitors discover what’s available beyond the usual stops.” New figures show this year’s event – attended by almost 250 tourism businesses and over 270 travel intermediaries – resulted in bookings worth an estimated £8.6 million to Scotland. A total of 8200 meetings were held – up by 1200 on 2024 – and 50 of the Scottish tourism businesses which attended the event were new to VisitScotland Connect this year. Figures also show Scotland welcomed a record number of international visitors in 2024, with half of all overseas visitors booking their trips through tour operators or travel advisors, the event has been credited with helping Scottish suppliers get their experiences and services in front of global audiences. Lynsey Eckford, VisitScotland regional director, said: “VisitScotland Connect is an integral part of our work to help more Scottish tourism and events businesses to internationalise and capitalise on growing international interest. “Tourism is vital to Forth Valley, and I would encourage trade-ready tourism businesses in the region to sign up for 2026.” VisitScotland Connect will be held on April 15 and April16, 2026, at the SEC in Glasgow and is for businesses who are ready to work with travel trade. Trade-ready Scottish businesses can register to participate via the registration link on the Connect event website. Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It’s free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers
