Promoting Tourism

29th May 2021

New £3 million fund to help industry rebuild.

Tourism organisations will be able to apply for funding to promote key visitor destinations in a responsible and sustainable way, helping the sector to recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Administered by VisitScotland, the £3 million Destination and Sector Marketing Fund will support eligible groups develop strong visitor marketing campaigns that position Scotland as a year-round destination to the UK and Irish markets.

The fund opens for applications on 1 June and will be split into three tiers, focusing on city, regional and national tourism groups. It is part of the £25 million investment in the tourism sector and will help deliver the post-Covid recovery programme developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) and the Scottish Tourism Recovery Task Force.

Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said:"It's been an incredibly difficult year for our tourism and hospitality sectors but, as we begin to reopen the economy and domestic travel resumes, this new fund will help to promote some of Scotland's most scenic beauty spots to our closest markets.

"The fund stems from the work of the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce and demonstrates our commitment to getting the sector firmly back on its feet again - a commitment backed by £25 million investment. Scotland is one of the world's most iconic destinations and we must work together to deliver a sustainable recovery."

Director of Industry & Destination Development at Visit Scotland and Chair of STERG Riddell Graham, said:"The Destination and Sector Marketing Fund has been designed to help accelerate the recovery of Scottish tourism in the immediate to medium term by focusing on the domestic market.

“By using the latest insights, groups across Scotland will develop and promote visitor experiences both sustainably and responsibly to help stimulate demand in the domestic market all year-round.

“VisitScotland is focused on the recovery of the industry, building a destination and visitor experience which allows tourism and events to flourish now and in the future. We’ll continue to work with, and support, businesses to ensure we rebuild this vital part of Scotland’s economy."

About the Fund
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced a monumental shift in the tourism industry and as we map our recovery, we must recognise that we are now operating in a new tourism landscape.

With constantly evolving international travel restrictions, stimulating domestic visitor demand and extending the season where possible are crucial to Scotland’s immediate tourism recovery.

The objective of the Destination & Sector Marketing Fund is to encourage destination and sector groups to collaborate to develop strong visitor propositions that are reflective of identified post-COVID-19 trends.

These should also be promoted in a responsible way, using targeted campaign activity in the UK and Ireland market, inclusive of the local and day visits market.

By marketing visitor experiences that are aligned to what consumers are looking for in this ‘new’ world and aligning them to the latest consumer trends, it will help to ensure a sustainable recovery going forward.

The total value of the Fund is £3 million. This Fund is part of a wider Scottish Government support package linked to the Tourism Task Force Recovery plan and is being delivered by VisitScotland.

Who can apply?
The Destination & Sector Marketing Fund is open to applications from destination and sectoral groups across Scotland. The Fund will operate across three tiers. Please see the guidance document for full details on eligibility requirements for each tier.

Tier one
City Region Award Programme
Awards between £50,000 - £100,000

Tier two
Pan-Scotland Sector Groups & Regional Destination Organisations
Awards between £40,000 - £80,000

Tier three
Local Destination Organisations, Marketing Groups & non-Pan-Scotland Sector Groups
Awards between £10,000 - £20,000

Application process
The Fund will open to applications from 12 noon on Tuesday 1 June and the application form will be available for download from -
https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/funding/destination-sector-marketing-fund