The importance of the visitor economy

Tourism and events are among Moray Speyside’s most valuable industries, writes David Jackson, VisitScotland Regional Director for Moray Speyside.  

Their success creates a ripple effect which powers a vibrant visitor economy. It is more than simply going on holiday. Our data shows that in 2023 total spend (including day visitors), totalled £724m for Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray Speyside, which sustains communities across the region, stimulates investment, creates jobs, enhances Scotland’s global reputation, and boosts visitors’ and our own health and wellbeing.  

And it is this cumulative impact which highlights why growing the visitor economy is so important. It is something that benefits us all. 

Despite encouraging international figures, many working within the tourism and events industry are facing ongoing challenges as a result of the cost of living and of doing business which continues to affect the UK. 

As an economic growth agency, we are focusing on four key priorities to drive the visitor economy, growing its value in a sustainable way that benefits not just visitors to the region but the people who live and work here too. 

These are organisation development, market development, place development and business and experience development. 

For market development this means growing and diversifying Scotland’s reach in key international and domestic markets, promoting Scotland through our own channels and that of our partners, as a must-visit, must-return destination. A recent example is our Great Days Out campaign, aimed at UK visitors and including the use of paid social adverts to showcase Ballindalloch Distillery. A Times article also featured the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival as part of this campaign.

But as well as inspiring and attracting visitors, we also need to make sure as a destination we are capable and comfortable of welcoming visitors and that all areas of the region benefit. 

This includes the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) which we administer on behalf of the Scottish Government. More than half a dozen locations across Moray Speyside have benefited from RTIF-supported investment, including new overnight motorhome facilities in Cullen and motorhome parking at Ballindalloch and Craigellachie; the upgrading and reopening of toilets at Ballindalloch and Craigellachie; a new car park and footpath at Bow Fiddle Rock in Portknockie and car park enhancements at Ben Rinnes, Ballindalloch, Hopeman and Craigellachie.

Pluscarden Abbey has also seen visitor parking and access improvements through RTIF funding. These improvements all create significant and long-lasting improvement to local visitor infrastructure. 

We will continue working closely with our partners to support regional tourism strategies and encourage investment in terms of facilities and events. 

We are already starting to see the benefits of this with Moray Speyside’s impressive 2025 events line up. Earlier this year, the Seafield Arms Hotel in Cullen played host to the Cullen Skink World Championships and the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival also took place recently. Speyfest is also coming up fast, along with the plethora of Highland games and shows across the region – always hugely popular with our visitors.

We spoke to Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival to hear more about how the visitor economy supports wider supply chains and positively impacts the local community in Moray Speyside. Read more HERE

Through business and experience development we’ve been reviewing our approach to business support. This includes the launch of our new business support programme, a year-round programme of free-to-access support, which will help businesses to grow, develop and connect with new audiences.

We will also continue to help businesses to do this through, our flagship travel trade show, VisitScotland Connect, which returned to P&J Live last month. The two-day event brought together tourism businesses - including a number from Moray Speyside - face to face with over 250 tour operators and travel agents from across the world who want to promote Scotland to their clients.  

We remain steadfast in our support for the visitor economy and the people and places who rely on it. By working together, we can ensure that Moray Speyside remains a must-visit, must-return destination year-round, driving the visitor economy without pause.