Scottish Tourism Alliance

18/06/2026

From rising international demand to the growing influence of AI on how travellers discover hotels, Scotland’s hospitality landscape is evolving fast. Our latest webinar with HotelPartner Revenue Management unpacked the trends shaping performance today — and the opportunities ahead for operators across the country.

A huge thank‑you to our brilliant speakers for sharing their insights:

Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Alliance

Robert Holland FIH, Managing Director UK & Ireland, HotelPartner Revenue Management

Aoife Roche MBA Roche, Vice President, Sales - EMEA, STR

Ian James Stokes, FIH Stokes, Founder Urbannessie – past COO, House of Gods

Cat Leaver, Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence - VisitScotland

and thank you to everyone who joined us live for the discussion.

Missed the session or want to revisit the conversation?

👉 Catch up with the full recording - https://youtu.be/mvdKqlKBzgM

15/06/2026

🕚 Less than 24 hours left until our upcoming webinar with HotelPartner Revenue Management.

Whether you operate a luxury hotel, a budget accommodation, a boutique property, or a youth hostel, this webinar will share accessible and actionable advice on tackling challenges such as the skills shortage, optimising performance, and making the most effective use of technology in your operations.

Not signed up yet? There’s still time.

Register here:

https://events.humanitix.com/hotelpartner-x-sta-profitable-growth-in-scotland-s-hospitality-and-accommodation-sector

Confirmed speakers:

Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Alliance

Robert Holland FIH, Managing Director UK & Ireland, HotelPartner Revenue Management

Aoife Roche MBA Roche, Vice President, Sales - EMEA, STR

Ian James Stokes, FIH Stokes, Founder Urbannessie – past COO, House of Gods

Cat Leaver, Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence - VisitScotland

Join the conversation shaping the future of hospitality.

12/06/2026

Scotland stands on the world stage with pride this Sunday as we wish our national team the very best of luck at the World Cup. Their journey is more than a sporting moment — it is a powerful reminder of Scotland’s global appeal, its cultural influence, and the warm welcome that defines our nation.

VisitScotland Insights show that American visitors continue to play a vital role in Scotland’s tourism success. Accounting for 22% of all overseas trips and 36% of all overseas spend in 2024. Their interest in our majestic landscapes, rich heritage, and status as the home of golf reinforces Scotland’s position as a world‑class destination.

The Tartan Army has only strengthened that reputation. During the Euro’s in Germany 2024, the German outlet RTL named them the best supporters of the competition. Their passion, positivity, and unmistakable Scottish spirit make them exceptional ambassadors for our country.

This period also represents a major commercial moment for the Scotland’s hospitality sector. Big Games aren’t just sporting events – they’re a huge commercial opportunity. For pubs, bars and hospitality venues, they bring packed spaces, longer dwell times, increased group bookings and a significant uplift in wet sales.

As Scotland takes to the pitch, we celebrate our team, our supporters and the businesses that help showcase the very best of Scotland.

12/06/2026

The Caterer is fully behind Tom Kerridge’s VAT’s the Problem campaign to reduce the rate of VAT on hospitality to 10% – sign the petition today and make a difference to our industry

https://www.thecaterer.com/news/editors-comment-vats-the-problem-is-a-real-chance-to-make-a-difference

12/06/2026

12/06/2026

Thanks to another great supporter of The Scottish Tourism Alliance -56 Degree Insight for this latest capture of Scots holiday intentions and sentiment.

As always Jim Eccleston Duncan Stewart it’s really helpful to the industry to see where the opportunity still lies and what the intentions and expectations are of our local domestic audience.

https://lnkd.in/eq7Yg2_2

10/06/2026

Public Finance Minister has said in Parliament today that there will be a comprehensive review of NDR and SG will be meeting business leaders from the 6 priority groups before summer.

She said NDR should support growth, investment and competitiveness, but balanced with income for public services. She added the system should be fair and transparent.

UKHospitality The Scottish Licensed Trade Association Hospitality Group
Beer & Pub Association ASSC Scotland

Clip here:

Urgent Question Paul Sweeney To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it will take in response to the reported violent racist demonstrations that took place last night in Glasgow. followed by Portfolio Questions Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Finance and Local Government, Parliamen...

10/06/2026

📢 Less than one week to go

The countdown is on for our upcoming webinar with HotelPartner Revenue Management.

We’ll be discussing the key challenges and opportunities shaping the hospitality sector, including rising energy costs, the impact of the tourism levy, and investor appetite across Scotland.

You can also expect expert insights on:

• Revenue optimisation strategies

• Development and growth opportunities

• How AI is enabling greater operational efficiency

Not signed up yet? There’s still time.

Register here:

https://events.humanitix.com/hotelpartner-x-sta-profitable-growth-in-scotland-s-hospitality-and-accommodation-sector

Confirmed speakers:

Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Alliance

Robert Holland, Managing Director UK & Ireland, HotelPartner Revenue Management

Aoife Roche, Vice President, Sales - EMEA, STR

Ian Stokes, Founder Urbannessie – past COO, House of Gods

Cat Leaver, Director of Strategy and Competitive Intelligence - VisitScotland

Join the conversation shaping the future of hospitality.

04/06/2026

I really welcomed the invite & opportunity for an introductory meet with Stephen Flynn our newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Tourism in what is only his 2nd full wk in office.

We were joined on line by Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) chair

It was very clear from the Cab Sec opening remarks that he was not only delighted to have tourism in his brief but was also looking forward to working closely with the STA appreciating the strength and depth of the STA membership & our being very open to working in collaboration. He also not only fully appreciated the significant contribution that Tourism & Hospitality makes to both the national & local economies but its importance as an export industry and to the local communities across Scotland.

He was very aware of the immediate challenges that business are facing especially in respect of rising costs and . He referred to the address made by the The First Minister of Scotland & Sir Tom Hunter at the recent lunch which i also attended & said there will be more to come on NDR the next few weeks.

Rebecca & I stressed the importance of pace & Scotland being able to stay competitive on price. The need for business to able to invest in people & product as visitor expectations re having a total quality end to end experience have been raised significantly which includes the presentation of our public realm.

I shared feedback gathered from members & my meets with other STA key stakeholders which included their going concerns re the introduction of TVL and STL in some authorities. I highlighted the summer booking outlook for most is looking quite good although domestic bookings are coming later & the stays being booked are shorter. Many are forecasting secondary spend by domestic visitors to be down.

Rebecca referenced the excellent work that VisitScotland does,the importance of VS being funded well with potential & need to drive more year round international growth given the fragility in the domestic market.

We said connectivity with new inbound markets & not be so heavily reliant on US markets is important- Rebecca made reference to how small a budget VS have compared to our near neighbours in Ireland.

I referred to growing consumer demand by the younger generation too for “luxury experiences” & the fact that although Scotland is already performing v well in the luxury market with c30% of visitor spend being on luxury experiences there is the potential to do more.

I also mentioned the volume of signatures already gathered for the recently launched campaign & asked the minister given his close connection & recent experience of working in Westminster that he adds his voice to the cause & presses the UK Government hard on reserved policy & taxation so that the UK is more in line with our European competition

Rebecca & I closed by saying that we are very much looking fwd to working with him & Tom Arthur in the weeks & months ahead & how delighted we are that Tourism & Hospitality is back being represented at the top table of Government.

03/06/2026

Are you a self-catering operator and/or business in Scotland, with 10 minutes to spare?

If so please take part in Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers survey, which aims to gathers insight into current trading conditions, booking trends, business confidence and expectations for the season ahead.

Closing date: Midnight on 28 June 2026.

Link to survey and more information in the post below.

📢 Have Your Say: ASSC Spring Barometer Survey 2026

Are you a self-catering operator in Scotland? We want to hear from you.

The ASSC Spring Barometer Survey is now open and provides a vital opportunity to share your experiences, booking trends, business confidence, and expectations for the season ahead.

The results help inform the ASSC's advocacy work and engagement with key stakeholders, including VisitScotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, and the Scottish Government.

✅ Open to all self-catering businesses across Scotland
✅ Takes less than 10 minutes to complete
✅ Closes at midnight on 28 June 2026

Every response helps strengthen the collective voice of Scotland's self-catering sector.

Please complete the survey and share it with your networks to help us reach as many operators as possible.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVNSKTV

VisitScotland.org Scottish Tourism Alliance