VisitScotland makes it personal

Health & Leisure
Tuesday, 12 July 2016

A global call has gone out to Scots to join an on-line community and extend a ‘warm Scottish welcome’ to all potential visitors.  
 


It has launched a mission to beam a Scot into every location worldwide to share what makes Scotland so special through advice, stories, tips and information.


The national tourism organisation now has a new global on-line community to allow Scots and those who love Scotland to bring alive the locations, characters and landscapes of the country. The community will mean everyone world wide from New York to New Guinea can go online in their own homes and ‘talk to a Scottish local’.
 
The initiative was launched using one of the greatest stories conceived in Scotland – Harry Potter, and featuring an incredible book sculpture of the Glenfinnan Viaduct or ‘Harry Potter Bridge’.
 
Entitled iKnow Scotland, the new on line and face to face community will see VisitScotland partnering with both private and public sectors to give businesses, industry and visitors the tools to enable them to share the Spirit of Scotland with others.
 
VisitScotland will reach out to ask Scots and those who love Scotland, to get involved as part of the wider Spirit of Scotland campaign that has been running nationwide. This will include a short online film called ‘Pride’ featuring an Amy Macdonald soundtrack.
 
Features of iKnow Scotland:
 
Online inspiration:
·   Online Community on visitscotland.com - an active, owned forum where consumers can tell their own stories, show pictures, inspire others and provide advice.


·   Live Web Chat function to allow visitors to ask questions and get answers online in real time (during business hours).

·   Trip Planning: A practical trip planning tool to help visitors to plan their break by creating, saving and sharing their own travel itineraries.
 
Face to face inspiration:         

        
·   Introduction of iKnow Scotland VisitScotland Information Partner (VIP) Program (working with attractions and accommodation providers to deliver information and advice to visitors).


·   125 tourism businesses have signed up to the VIP program already including visitor attractions operated by National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland.


·   Re-naming of VisitScotland Information Centres as iCentres and iHubs nationwide.
 
While 70 per cent of visitors state that the internet is their preferred tool to plan a trip to Scotland, the most popular method for finding out ‘what to see and do’ was talking to locals. In addition, visitscotland.com was second only to Google as the site used to plan a trip.  The new on-line community will combine the benefits of the internet, with the personal touch in response to the changing needs of visitors.
 
To find out more about the VisitScotland online community, visit:
www.visitscotland.com/community

VisitScotland makes it personal

Health & Leisure
Tuesday, 12 July 2016

A global call has gone out to Scots to join an on-line community and extend a ‘warm Scottish welcome’ to all potential visitors.  
 


It has launched a mission to beam a Scot into every location worldwide to share what makes Scotland so special through advice, stories, tips and information.


The national tourism organisation now has a new global on-line community to allow Scots and those who love Scotland to bring alive the locations, characters and landscapes of the country. The community will mean everyone world wide from New York to New Guinea can go online in their own homes and ‘talk to a Scottish local’.
 
The initiative was launched using one of the greatest stories conceived in Scotland – Harry Potter, and featuring an incredible book sculpture of the Glenfinnan Viaduct or ‘Harry Potter Bridge’.
 
Entitled iKnow Scotland, the new on line and face to face community will see VisitScotland partnering with both private and public sectors to give businesses, industry and visitors the tools to enable them to share the Spirit of Scotland with others.
 
VisitScotland will reach out to ask Scots and those who love Scotland, to get involved as part of the wider Spirit of Scotland campaign that has been running nationwide. This will include a short online film called ‘Pride’ featuring an Amy Macdonald soundtrack.
 
Features of iKnow Scotland:
 
Online inspiration:
·   Online Community on visitscotland.com - an active, owned forum where consumers can tell their own stories, show pictures, inspire others and provide advice.


·   Live Web Chat function to allow visitors to ask questions and get answers online in real time (during business hours).

·   Trip Planning: A practical trip planning tool to help visitors to plan their break by creating, saving and sharing their own travel itineraries.
 
Face to face inspiration:         

        
·   Introduction of iKnow Scotland VisitScotland Information Partner (VIP) Program (working with attractions and accommodation providers to deliver information and advice to visitors).


·   125 tourism businesses have signed up to the VIP program already including visitor attractions operated by National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland.


·   Re-naming of VisitScotland Information Centres as iCentres and iHubs nationwide.
 
While 70 per cent of visitors state that the internet is their preferred tool to plan a trip to Scotland, the most popular method for finding out ‘what to see and do’ was talking to locals. In addition, visitscotland.com was second only to Google as the site used to plan a trip.  The new on-line community will combine the benefits of the internet, with the personal touch in response to the changing needs of visitors.
 
To find out more about the VisitScotland online community, visit:
www.visitscotland.com/community