Tourism businesses across the Highlands are being urged to register for Scotland’s flagship travel trade event, as VisitScotland Connect returns in 2026 with the promise of major international exposure.
The event will take place for the first time in Glasgow, hosted at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) on 15 and 16 April 2026.
Designed to bring Scottish tourism providers face-to-face with global travel operators, advisors, and Destination Management Companies, VisitScotland Connect aims to boost Scotland’s share of the international visitor market.
More than 30 Highland-based businesses attended this year’s event at P&J Live in Aberdeen.
There, they met with buyers representing key international markets including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the UK domestic audience.
The event is targeted at “trade-ready” businesses, such as hotels, visitor attractions, experience providers, and destination partnerships who are prepared to work with the global travel trade to promote Scotland.
Highland Coast Hotels was among those in attendance this year.
Managing Director Kenny McMillan said the event offered a direct route into global markets and an opportunity to meet partners who value locally-rooted, sustainable experiences.
“The quality of meetings was excellent, and we’ve already seen tangible interest from new and existing contacts,” he said.
“We’d absolutely consider attending again and would highly recommend it to other tourism businesses looking to expand their reach and showcase the best of what Scotland has to offer.”
Eloise Mair, travel trade executive with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said the Highland Wildlife Park benefitted hugely from face-to-face connections at the event.
“VisitScotland Connect is one of the most valuable trade events of the year for us,” she said.
“We were also thrilled to welcome guests on a post-event visit to the park, a fantastic opportunity to show what makes Highland Wildlife Park so special and to build lasting relationships.”
This year’s event facilitated over 8,000 business meetings and is estimated to have generated bookings worth £8.6 million.
Post-event surveys found that every participating Scottish tourism business anticipated making sales, and 91% of international buyers expected to update or expand their Scottish programmes as a result.
VisitScotland also organised tailored “fam trips” for buyers, including three in the Highlands.
These included visits to Aviemore Ice Rink, Highland Wildlife Park, Alvie & Dalraddy Estate, Dolphin Spirit, Uile Bheist distillery, and cycling tours around Inverness, all designed to showcase authentic Highland experiences with a strong sustainability focus.
Chris Taylor, VisitScotland’s Destination Development Director, said Highlands tourism plays a crucial role in Scotland’s wider visitor economy.
He encouraged businesses across the region to get involved in the next event.
“Tourism is vital to the Highlands’ prosperity,” he said.
“VisitScotland Connect gives local businesses a platform to engage with international buyers who are genuinely interested in sharing what makes this region so special.”
