Some cookies used are essential to providing a service, while others help us improve your experience and provide us with insights into how the site is being used.
For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies page.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. For more information on how these cookies work, please see our 'Cookies page'.
We'd like to allow Social Media cookies to provide a richer experience. These cookies will allow us the ability to list Fife Council tweets and Facebook posts, Google maps, audio clips & Videos on some of our pages. Our videos use Youtube's privacy-enhanced mode.
These cookies allow us to show relevant adverts to the content you are viewing. They also provide the ability to deliver targeted online advertising across other platforms like Facebook, Google, Instagram and the Quantcast network.
Fife Council’s tourism team, Welcome to Fife, in partnership with White Stag Tourism and 15 local businesses, delivered the Advanced Travel Trade Development Programme in 2024. Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the project aimed to strengthen Fife’s position as a trade-ready visitor destination and support long-term economic recovery through tourism.
The initiative directly supports the Plan for Fife ambitions around Community Wealth Building and increasing year-on-year visitor numbers and tourism spend. It also aligns with regional and national strategies, including Scotland’s Tay Country and VisitScotland’s trade engagement goals.
While many visitors book independently, around one in three international travellers, particularly from the USA and Canada, book through tour operators or travel agents. This programme helped local tourism businesses better understand and access this market. It offered advanced training, one-to-one mentoring, and support in refining pricing, product design, and promotional materials.
Key outcomes included:
Feedback from businesses and operators was overwhelmingly positive. One business reported an increase of over £70,000 in event income, largely attributed to travel trade engagement. Others, like Lindores and the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, are now developing new international packages and long-term strategies.
The project also produced a promotional video showcasing Fife’s tourism offer and the new Leven rail link, now used in trade marketing.
Looking ahead, the team will continue to support businesses with follow-up mentoring, promote new assets, and coordinate regional activity. Plans are in place to support attendance at major trade shows, ensuring Fife remains visible and competitive in the global tourism market.
