Tourism in Moray Speyside is now worth a record £187million to the local economy, bolstered by a 25% leap in visitor numbers between 2022 and 2023.
As the area’s total number of visitors topped 877,000 for the first time, credit is being given to a national marketing campaign led by Visit Moray Speyside.
The ‘Your Next Adventure Starts Here’ initiative was geared towards promoting the region as an adventure destination, from the Cairngorm Mountains to the Moray coast.
Visit Moray Speyside (VMS) is the Destination Marketing Organisation and Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) Company for the Moray & Speyside area, one of just three operational Tourism BIDs in Scotland.
Its campaign has already reached an audience of over four million people across the UK, via print, digital and broadcast media.
CEO of VMS, Gemma Cruickshank, said: “Over the past few years, our industry has faced unique challenges, from the global pandemic to the introduction of short-term let licenses.
“Despite these hurdles, our unity and collaboration have been a beacon of hope. We continue to represent the interests of almost 400 tourism businesses spread throughout Moray, including more than a dozen of Speyside’s world-famous distilleries.
“Ensuring that the voice of Moray’s tourism businesses is heard remains our priority. Through targeted efforts, we are working hard to ensure that the specific needs and challenges of our tourism sector are taken into account.
“There will undoubtedly be more challenges ahead, but together, we have shown that our community is capable of growth.”
Gemma added: “Visit Moray Speyside is the only organisation in the world whose sole focus is on raising the profile of this incredible region and positioning Moray Speyside as the world-class destination that we all know it is.”
Glenfarclas Distillery and Dowans Hotel are amongst the business members of VMS.
Brand ambassador for Glenfarclas, Kirstin MacDonald, said: “It’s definitely been what feels like a very busy season, which is always welcome.
“I think people come here because you get away from the hustle and bustle. We’re also seeing people who are coming on holiday to the area visiting not just one but several destinations, for example enjoying its golf and walking.
“In terms of visitors to our distillery, they increasingly want to learn more about whisky, so we have launched more in-depth tours and experiences to meet this demand.”
Glenfarclas was the second distillery in Scotland to open a dedicated visitor centre, in 1973.
Kirstin added: “To this day, we feel it’s Important to the distillery – which we feel is a magical place to visit, especially at this time of year – to be part of the community.
“Visit Moray Speyside have been a wonderful team to work with, and we have seen first-hand the benefits of its Your Next Adventure Starts Here campaign, highlighting how much the area has to offer.
“I look forward to seeing how its efforts to increase its digital offering to be more modern and accessible will be received by tourists.”
Steph Murray of the Dowans Hotel, in Aberlour, said it had enjoyed a ‘very busy’ 2024 from around the middle of March onwards.
“What’s more, we are seeing a lot of advance bookings right through until October 2025, which is definitely ahead of the usual – this is also being boosted by us expanding our range of events, such as offering wellness retreats.
“Being part of the Visit Moray Speyside campaign has been an incredible journey for us. It’s not just about promoting our business; it’s about showcasing the true essence of the Moray Speyside region.”
As well as destination marketing for the region, VMS also supports tourism businesses with training and opportunities.
