TTC and VisitScotland’s new partnership seeks to make responsible tourism ‘business as usual’ in Scotland (Credit: VisitScotland)
The partnership, the first that has seen VisitScotland partner with a global tour operator, will also be pooling shared insights and resources to scale up efforts to support tourism businesses in Scotland with the development of climate action plans.
Speaking to TTG, TTC chief sustainability officer Shannon Guihan pointed to the partnership being based around the pursuit of responsible tourism, rather than it being “a message”. “I think that shift in priorities is what makes it groundbreaking and a new way for destinations and the sector to work with one another,” Guihan said.
Lyn Donnelly, senior responsible tourism manager at VisitScotland added: “Having TTC support what we do with tourism businesses is unique. I often speak to businesses about climate action plans and impact. Understandably it may not be a priority because there’s so many others for businesses to consider at the moment.
“By marketing and working with tour operators and intermediaries, we can help create responsible, low carbon product in Scotland and then take it to market with TTC, and really influence visitor choices when planning, but also while they’re in destination.”
The partnership will work to create new itineraries across TTC’s brands, which includes Insight Vacations, Trafalgar Tours, Contiki and Brendan Vacations, to grow its portfolio of the operator’s Make Travel Matter experiences, established in 2020.