Argyll and the Isles Tourism Cooperative

10/06/2026

Would you like to put your business in front of thousands of potential visitors?

Love Oban’s latest cross-platform marketing results highlight the strong reach and visibility we are delivering for our local tourism community:

👥 171,500 Potential Visitors Reached

🎬 235,000+ Page Media Views

👋 554 New Followers

With the vast majority of this audience based right here in the UK, these are prime potential visitors looking for their next getaway.

As an AITC member, this reach is your opportunity. Whether you run an eatery, accommodation, shop, or tour, contact [email protected] to be featured and turn these views into bookings! 📥

08/06/2026

Recent tourism data shows an average of 490,000 overnight visitors to our region annually. When you factor in our thriving day-tripper market, that’s over 800,000 potential visitors exploring what Argyll and the Isles have to offer.

The big question is: Will they find your business?

As an AITC member, you don't get lost in the crowd. Through targeted content via Wild About Argyll and Love Oban, we keep your business front of mind, turning regional footfall into your footfall.

Find out how AITC can get your business noticed this summer:
🔗 https://bit.ly/BecomeAnAITCMember

07/06/2026

Great to see this new festival by Dunoon Presents. Wishing you a successful event !

Award-winning producers are heading to Taste Dunoon, the town’s first-ever food and drink festival. 🥧🧑‍🍳

04/06/2026

Spearheaded by AITC is also adding its voice to and backing the campaign, calling for a 10% rate for all hospitality businesses, alongside other trade associations and industry colleagues.

Are you adding your voice?

vatstheproblem.co.uk

View fullsize VAT at 10% is fair for hospitality. VAT at 10% is fair for hospitality. Sign our petition for 10% hospitality VAT Data protection and privacy policy Do you want to back your favourite venue, help your high street and support local jobs? Then sign our petition to lower the rate of VAT f...

04/06/2026

Congratulations The Pierhouse Hotel 👏👏👏

04/06/2026

📢 Visitor Levy Update

Argyll and Bute Council will consider an updated draft of the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme this June. The new proposed scheme aims to reduce administrative burdens on accommodation providers and to align with the new, more flexible Scottish Government legislation.

Key Updates:

🔹 New Exemptions: Includes island residents travelling for mainland healthcare appointments (and their carers) and youth outdoor education centres.

🔹 More Flexibility: The "per person, per night" model has been replaced with simpler "per room" or "per area" options.

While AITC remains opposed to the levy, we will continue to work with the local authority to ensure that, if adopted, the scheme is practical, imposes minimal business burden, and funds are directly reinvested in our visitor economy.

04/06/2026

A new voice for our sector

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.

02/06/2026

💡 Did you know? Both Love Oban and Wild About Argyll are proudly owned and managed by AITC.

Through both brands, we provide our members with a collective reach of over 60,000 potential visitors.

Who are you reaching?

🔹Wild About Argyll: A highly active audience of outdoor adventurers, wellness seekers, and eco-conscious visitors.

🔹Love Oban: High-intent staycationers, food lovers, and day-trippers actively looking for where to eat, stay, and shop.

Joining delivers amplified visibility, targeted demographics, and a direct line to visitors actively planning their next trip.

Is your business ready to be seen? Discover how AITC membership can elevate your brand: https://bit.ly/BecomeAnAITCMember

26/05/2026

A 286% increase in porpoise numbers - that is the incredible impact of marine protection in the Firth of Lorn since 2007. 🐬

In our latest Member Spotlight, David Ainsley from Sealife Adventures shares what it’s like to witness Argyll’s ecosystems bounce back, from booming seabird populations to vibrant, revitalised reefs.

But sustaining this environment takes more than just passion; it takes a connected community.

When asked about the top benefit of being an AITC member, David noted:

"It is great to be part of a community of operators with a shared view on how special Argyll really is."

Tourism thrives when we all row in the same direction. If you run a business in Argyll & the Isles and want to collaborate with a network dedicated to our region's future, we’d love to welcome you.

👉 Join our business community today: https://bit.ly/BecomeAnAITCMember

25/05/2026

Whether you run a small island B&B or a mainland attraction, your business is a vital part of the Argyll & Bute economy.

AITC is built for tourism operators of all sizes. We offer supportive guidance, trend insights, and strategic positioning to all our members, because we know that collective success is the best way forward.

Find out how we can support you: https://bit.ly/BecomeAnAITCMember