Delivering for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley How we’re working to grow the visitor economy DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY Introduction The strong partnerships we maintain the Bo’ness Speed Hillclimb & Motoring with public sector organisations and Heritage Weekend as well as The Rock of industry are essential to economic Ages at Dumbarton Castle. success across Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley. We continue to invest in tourism Tourism across the region supports marketing development with Growth 11,800 jobs and generates £160 million Fund awards made to Destination for the local economy*. Stirling, Love Loch Lomond (as part of a partnership with Glasgow City Marketing We work very closely with five major Bureau and ScotRail) and recently, public sector partners on strategic Discover Clackmannanshire. activity, marketing, skills and the visitor experience. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs The region continues to go from National Park and Clackmannanshire, strength to strength with success in the Falkirk, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire form of the City Deal for Stirling and Councils all work with us to develop the Clackmannanshire that will see capital visitor economy and encourage inclusive projects delivered that will have a major economic growth. impact on the visitor economy. Events and festivals continue to draw Business and event organisers have visitors and EventScotland, part of our taken advantage of the Year of Innovation, Events Directorate, has contributed over Architecture and Design as well as having £132,000 in funding to events across the an excellent presence in our Spirit of area including Balmaha’s Braw Weekend, Scotland marketing campaign. We aim to build on this with all partners in the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017 where we can capitalise on our reputation for outstanding culture and heritage. Liz Buchanan MBE Regional Partnerships Director, VisitScotland 1 DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY Key stats for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley • 63 million views of our series • 290 businesses participate in of online Spirit of Scotland one of VisitScotland’s Quality documentaries and ads featuring Assurance schemes. 56% of those the Kelpies, Falkirk Wheel and have achieved four or five stars Loch Lomond & The Trossachs representing a commitment to National Park quality in the region • More than 34,000 referrals from • £49,500 awarded to tourism visitscotland.com to businesses groups in Loch Lomond & The in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley Stirling & Forth Valley in 2015/16 by our Growth Fund in 2015/16 • More than £132,000 invested by • £160 million* in estimated VisitScotland in Loch Lomond & expenditure from overnight The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth domestic and overseas visitors Valley events in 2015/16 • 8.5 million opportunities to see or hear messaging in our dedicated *Sources: Great Britain Tourism Survey 2013, VisitScotland marketing campaigns 2014, 2015 and International Passenger Survey 2013, 2014, 2015. Figures presented in in 2015/16 three year average format to ensure a robust sample. • Over 32 million potential consumers reached worldwide by our consumer PR activity in 2015/16 2 DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY Developing tourism across Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley STRATEGIC ACTIVITY Our work with the Stirling City VisitScotland works with local authorities Commission provides strategic direction and industry groups on strategic activity and operational advice on City Deal in line with the Tourism Scotland 2020 initiatives such as the River Forth Project. national strategy. In February 2016 we Our work with Destination Stirling saw held an industry event in partnership the group receive a VisitScotland Growth with Clackmannanshire Council to Fund award of £15,500 for a campaign to outline the strategic direction for attract more business tourism to the area. tourism and invite industry to join a revitalised Discover Clackmannanshire In Falkirk we maintain an excellent industry group. This group then relationship with the Council’s Growth & successfully applied for £10,000 from Investment Unit, which includes LEADER, the VisitScotland Growth Fund to put Business Gateway and the tourism team towards a new marketing campaign for allowing us to contribute to a coordinated the area. approach to the tourism industry. 3 DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY INDUSTRY SUPPORT opportunities spanning online, VisitScotland sells Scotland with Scotland, marketing and iCentre activity as well which ultimately means working together as international events and travel trade and supporting the tourism industry to business missions. market our country to the world. One of our powerful assets is our people. In Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling Our Industry Relationship Managers, & Forth Valley over 1,000 businesses are Lynsey Eckford lynsey.eckford@ currently engaged with our opportunities, visitscotland.com and Donald Hoy with many more benefiting indirectly. [email protected], provide tailored support and advice to businesses Quality is crucial to our industry to across the region. maintain a global competitive advantage. Our Quality Assurance Scheme has We have developed additional been operating for over 30 years and is opportunities for industry including now one of the best in the world. Over enhanced free web listings on 290 businesses in Loch Lomond & The visitscotland.com with booking engine Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley are integration, new Welcome Schemes, committed to the scheme. the VisitScotland Information Partner programme, which now has 75 local Our support also includes a range of businesses signed up, and Scotland’s Welcome Schemes and promotional Online Community. 4 DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY Marketing Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley VisitScotland launched its first ever REGIONAL CAMPAIGNS global campaign — the Spirit of Scotland Stirling, Falkirk and West Dunbartonshire — in February 2016, with one message Councils all invested in our regional and jaw-dropping visuals. marketing campaigns over the last year. GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS A spring/summer online campaign Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling utilising online banners and direct & Forth Valley has featured across the emails encouraged over 2,000 potential campaign in films, print and digital visitors to enter a competition to win a advertising, direct mail packs and more break to Falkirk. Over the same time in across the UK, US, Germany and France. Stirling, a campaign with Stirling Council saw a reach of 3.4 million through paid The Kelpies, the Falkirk Wheel Facebook activity as well as direct and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs emails and targeted online display National Park feature in our cinematic- ads. In a winter campaign for West style TV ad. We also produced a series of Dunbartonshire, over 160,000 people online films featuring artist and sculptor saw inspirational ideas to visit the area of the Kelpies Andy Scott, Falkirk in the Sunday Post Magazine and based Tim Ford, managing director of Evening Times. Capercaillie Cruisers and Falkirk Hire Boats and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs As part of our added-value activity, National Park Ranger, Fiona Thompson. Stirling features as one of seven cities filmed in a visually stunning snapshot of The campaign creates a base for the the area. From exploring Stirling Castle to industry to build on and invites everyone Blair Drummond Safari Park, the footage to get involved and share their #ScotSpirit captures the visitor’s imagination to in order to help generate more visits and show the range of activities on offer on grow the visitor economy. a city break during winter and summer. The videos are promoted through all of our digital channels, targeting thousands of visitors across the globe. 5 DELIVERING FOR LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS, STIRLING & FORTH VALLEY SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL CONTENT The top post with the most engagement VisitScotland provides inspiration and on Facebook was a photo of The Kelpies information to hundreds of thousands at sunset that received over 30,000 likes, of potential customers across our online comments and shares. social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Looking to connect our visitors directly with our industry, Scotland’s Online The launch of our #ScotSpirit campaign Community, launched in July 2016, does has encouraged visitors and locals alike just that. A growing platform with more to upload inspirational images, which than 4,000 users looking for information in turn are being shared far and wide. about Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley posts across all VisitScotland media channels led to more than 300,000 likes, shares, retweets and comments between April and September 2016. 6 Sign up to our monthly industry newsletter at visitscotland.org/eUpdate CONTACT US Follow our corporate Liz Buchanan MBE Twitter feed Regional Partnerships Director @VisitScotNews 07771 980373 [email protected] Connect with us on David Adams McGilp LinkedIn at Regional Director - West Dunbartonshire linkedin.com/company/visitscotland 07818 873256 [email protected] Leo Plaster Industry Communications Executive All other photographs ©VisitScotland unless otherwise stated. VisitScotland has published this report in good faith to update 0141 5664020 stakeholders on its activity. VisitScotland has taken all reasonable [email protected] steps to confirm the information contained in the publication is correct. However, VisitScotland does not warrant or assume any legal liability for the accuracy of any information disclosed and accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. visitscotland.com visitscotland.org.