The first Instagram Travel Agency opens in Scotland

VisitScotland has brought the digital world to IRL bricks-and-mortar, by opening the first ever Instagram Travel Agency: allowing visitors to build their own #holidays to #Scotland based entirely around other people’s Instagram photos.This digital twist on the high-street holiday experience combines the enormous amount of inspirational content available online with the expertise and guidance that only the traditional travel agent can offer.

The #ScotSpirit Instagram Travel Agency magics away the time spent researching holidays online. Upon arrival, Instagram inspiration is delivered via a resplendently crisp floor-to-ceiling screen displaying hundreds of Instagram photos of Scotland At this state-of-the-art picture wall, visitors, with the assistance of staff, select their favourite ‘#ScotSpirit’ Instagram images of Scotland’s sights, restaurants, experiences, hotels and more.

The personable and knowledgeable staff then use a customer’s cherry-picked Instagram pictures to curate their perfect Scottish holiday suggested itinerary; crafted around their unique personal preferences and schedules. Visitors can then take the itinerary away to book in their own time.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
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On the water . . .

STAR Cruises, The Most Popular Cruise Line in Asia, was honoured with the Best Itinerary Award during the Shanghai Cruise Tourism Festival organized by the Shanghai Baoshan Government on 23 September 2017.

This award was in recognition of Star Cruises’ innovative 8D7N “Golden Sea Route” itinerary to Japan departing from Shanghai to the Japanese ports of Osaka and Tokyo with additional ports of call to take in the natural wonders of Mount Fuji and Kagoshima.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
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Middle-earth tourism in New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND is celebrating 15 years as the home of Middle-earth and Tourism New Zealand says the magic is as alive as ever with record numbers of international visitors lining up for a Hobbit experience.

Figures released in the latest International Visitor Survey findings from MBIE for the year to September 2016 show one in three international tourists, about 437,000 people have some kind of Middle-earth experience here and nearly one in five claim the #Hobbit is a factor in choosing to visit #NewZealand. 

Sir Peter Jackson says that since the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 15 years ago nothing has changed- New Zealand is and will always be the real Middle-earth.

“New Zealand has such a variety of landscapes from lush green forests, to soaring mountains. The grandeur of these landscapes saw tourists flock to our shores, and made a huge impact on the #tourism industry.

New Zealand is the perfect Middle-earth and a real place that visitors can experience for years and years to come.” Jackson said.

To celebrate the 15 year milestone, Tourism New Zealand has developed Middle-earth travel, an online quiz that lets consumers see which character they are most aligned to: a Dwarf, Elf, Wizard or a Hobbit. They are then provided with a character-inspired itinerary for their journey through New Zealand. The quiz and itineraries are housed on tourism New Zealand’s website, newzealand.com.

Find out which character you would travel through the real Middle-earth as take the quiz:

http://www.newzealand.com/int/campaign/middle-earth-quiz

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

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Picture Credit: Daniel Peckham flickr.com/photos/95701140@N00/16793654981 New Zealand Foggy Golden Sunrise via photopin, Christopher Chan flickr.com/photos/17751217@N00/31560565031 Hobbit Hole, The Shire via photopin

Whisky Co. launches bespoke Scotland tours

#WHISKY #TOURISM in #Scotland is big business, with some 120 active distilleries, 40 more in the pipeline and visitor numbers reaching upwards of 1.5 million a year. But there are few services providing a personal connection between whisky tourists and the distilleries.

With the industry looking to find new ways to encourage whisky tourism in Scotland, PR manager Kirsty MacGeoch has created a link between the distilleries and visitors, with the launch of Whisky Co. in Edinburgh. It creates itineraries individually suited to guests’ requirements and books all aspects of their trip from transfers to tastings … with a focus on luxury.

‘Whisky is a huge Scottish success story, but there’s a missing link between the distilleries and the whisky lovers coming to visit,’ says Ms. MacGeoch. ‘Everyone has a different taste when it comes to whisky and it’s the same when it comes to holidays. Whisky Co. stands for Whisky Connections, as that’s exactly what we do, provide that connection between the distilleries and the tourists. 

‘I’ve always felt there wasn’t a luxury, personalized service available to the public that offered something special to visitors. Whisky Co. is here to do that, by providing extra-special whisky experiences based on exactly what the customer wants, rather than providing just another pre-packaged whisky holiday. 

‘I wanted to share my knowledge of Scotch and Scotland with the world to ensure visitors get the best out of what our country and its wonderful whisky have to offer.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

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Picture Credit: 32280754@N05/27758397432 Edinburgh Castle via photopin.com, 37845599@N07/5010330004 Haggis & Whiskey in Dunedin via photopin.com