Business tourism professionals from throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire heard the region is at a greater advantage than any other destination in the UK, and ranks as the top Scottish city to visit thanks to its strong product and resources at yesterday’s (21 March 2017) VisitAberdeenshire tourism conference.
The event, which discussed how tourism can become one of the primary contributors to the North-east economy, attracted 160 delegates to Meldrum House Hotel where Colin Crosby, chair of VisitAberdeenshire, spoke of the region’s strong tourism product, and of the opportunities available to place Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire on the global map as a top tourism destination.
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Colin Crosby said, “VisitAberdeenshire is probably the only destination management organisation in the country that is growing. This puts us at a great advantage, as we are well resourced with a fantastic team working at VisitAberdeenshire promoting a high-quality product to the global marketplace.
“I firmly believe that the tourism industry is key to helping drive the North-east economy. We have a diverse and robust tourism product that has global appeal, and everyone at the conference will play a vital role in delivering this growth, which will only be possible through greater collaboration.”
Conference keynote speaker, Justin Reid from TripAdvisor discussed how the rest of the world sees the region, he said, “Our research is based on our 465 million users from around the world that place Aberdeen as the best place to stay in Scotland followed by Edinburgh and Glasgow. 3.75 million people are looking at Aberdeen as a destination on TripAdvisor throughout the year. This is unusual as we normally see a strong peak season in most destinations, but here in Aberdeen you are attracting interest throughout the year, which can only be a good thing. Interestingly, it’s not other Scottish destinations that people are searching for when they are looking at Aberdeen as a destination to visit. It is instead London, Paris and New York that are most commonly searched for with Aberdeen.
“Tourists say attractions in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are the core reason for visiting, as the region offers something that no other destination in the world can offer. London, Paris and New York all have top hotels and restaurants, but they don’t have castle trails, or can claim they are spiritual home of golf, it is these authentic one of kind experience that people want.”
