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North-east businesses need to adapt to digital trade

Portsoy Harbour during last year's Traditional Boat Festival.
Portsoy Harbour during last year's Traditional Boat Festival.

Calls are being made for north-east businesses to become more digitally savvy so they can cash in on the tourism boom hitting the UK.

Last year a new record was set when more than 39.2 million foreign visitors came to Britain.

In addition there has been a strong growth in the global appetite to visit Scotland which was named the Rough Guide’s destination of the year.

Recent figures suggest more than 80% of people who visit the north-east while on holiday schedule book and plan their trip online.

But fewer than 40% of local businesses are able to take digital bookings.

Chris Foy, chief executive of VisitAberdeenshire said in help local businesses they were committing to offer training to firms who struggle digitally.

He said: “Only 39% of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire accommodation businesses have an integrated online booking system.

“The ever-changing digital landscape opens up more and more ways for potential visitors to communicate with the tourism industry, from the inspiration phase through to actual bookings.

“According to the Association of British Travel Agents, 83% of trips taken by Brits are now booked online, and of those, 43% are made using a mobile or tablet.

“When you take into account that 78% of our visitors are from elsewhere in the UK, and at a time when the accommodation capacity in the north-east of Scotland outweighs the demand, effective digital channels are clearly a critical link to grow our industry.”