Chris discusses some preconceptions about Google Ads and at what stage it is right for your business… if at all.
Google Ads is a great tool when used correctly. As a marketing channel, I have seen outstanding results from Google Ads that have transformed businesses for the better, but it’s important to recognise that most of these businesses realised how important it was to invest time and money in order to receive a true return on investment.

Check out the calculator video here: https://youtu.be/TEah0IFMATI

Andy McCluskey is the owner and founder of Open Road Scotland, Scotland's leading self drive operator for Motorhomes, Campervans and Motorcycles for the inbound tourist market. 

Andy will chat about how he set up and grew the business, the pitfalls and discuss the key drivers for success. 

Open Road is an owner operated business with a small number of support staff. Andy runs and manages all aspects of the business including Operations, Marketing and Promotion, Customer Relations so the insights he will bring to this talk will be invaluable.

Chris debunks some myths and tells some home truths about working with a marketing agency.

There is often very little open discussion about using marketing agencies and many tour operators and suppliers are regularly misled about what they can expect when working with an agency. I want to cut through the silence and offer my [admittedly biased] perspective on the situation. This blog is relevant to anyone working in the tour and activity industry, but it’s particularly relevant to anyone considering entering into a relationship with a new agency.

Lead by Chris Torres, Zakia will discuss how she came up with the idea of a global social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city and offers alternative walking tours to tourists and locals. 

Since launching in the Scottish Capital in 2016, Invisible Cities now also operates in Manchester and Glasgow with further plans for expansion to York and other UK cities. For more information visit www.invisible-cities.org  

Chris will be chatting with Sean on how ToursByLocals curates and selects tours for their platform and gives his take on what makes a good tour. A must for all tours and activity operators. 

Sean decided to make a change and joined ToursByLocals as a Tour Experience Coordinator where he gets great pleasure in helping tour operators and his team self discover through smart coaching to develop personally and professionally. 

Kelsey Tonner, of Be a Better Guide, provides valuable advice on how training your guides increases revenue.

*This video was filmed 2 years ago and has now been included into the Digital Tourism Show. Still very much as relevant today as it was then.

Kelsey Tonner is an experienced, global tour guide and founder of the Be a Better Guide Project, a movement that brings together tour guides and tour operators from around the world to learn from one another. His mission is to help anyone, anywhere, create extraordinary experiences for travellers.
 
With over ten years experience in the industry he has led trips in over fifteen different countries from Europe to the Americas and from Asia to North Africa. He has been a wilderness trip leader, a dog-sledding guide, a volunteer coordinator in an Inuit community and spent four years leading hiking, biking and multi-sport trips with Backroads Canada. He has visited over sixty countries and set foot on all seven continents.

Over the years, Kathi has travelled all around Scotland, writing blogs and travel guides along the way. But this hasn’t been a casual travelling blog; Watch Me See - A Scotland Travel Blog has built up a strong following and Kathi has worked hard to turn it into a viable business. She has done this partly by working with other travel businesses and much the Q&A discussed the best way for bloggers and businesses to work together.

Kathi discusses how to approach and work with bloggers and 'Influencers' to better promote your brand, debunking some myths along the way.

Bridgeen Mullen will discuss how The Clydeside Distillery focus on customer service, creating a five star customer experience and how to exceed expectations. Bridgeen will also discuss the challenges opening a new attraction. 

In this video I discuss how you can use video to boost your marketing strategies and increase your chances of bookings.

This video was actually recorded nearly 2 years ago but was separate from The Digital Tourism Show. It is still very much relevant today as it was then. More so in fact.

I will be re-releasing other videos to become part of TDTS so look out for these amongst other new content.

From sending teacakes into space to setting people on fire*. Rosie Street, the Marketing Manager at Glasgow Science Centre will discuss how you can come up with creative ideas to market your business. 

Rosie, a people centred marketeer, is responsible for leading a fantastic team at GSC, managing the strategic planning, implementation and day to day marketing activity at Glasgow Science Centre. 

Rosie helped create award winning campaigns including the successful 'Terry - the teacake that went to space’ and has been shortlisted for Rising Marketing Star at the Marketing Society Star Awards 2018. 

During a Q&A session with Chris, Rosie will discuss how GSC generate award winning campaigns, are diversifying and growing the audience of one of Scotland's best visitor attractions and how others can learn from their success.