Responding to changing consumer behaviour
“As part of our strategy to grow the visitor economy, we’re making changes to the way we provide visitor information. With the majority of people planning their holidays online, we’ll focus on influencing visitors at the planning stage before they leave home.
As a result, our network of information centres (iCentres) will close over the next two years.
This decision follows significant changes to the way people plan their holidays. This has led to a fall in demand for our iCentres with the majority of people now using online resources and travel specialists to plan and book all aspects of their trips. This includes arranging accommodation and activities before they arrive at their destination.
We’re responding to this shift through investing our expertise and resources in a digital-first strategy to increase Scotland’s share of global travel. We will target channels we know visitors use to inspire and influence where they go, when they come and what they do, ensuring Scotland is a “must visit, must return” destination.
All our iCentres will operate as usual until the end of September this year. We’ll then begin a phased programme of closures between then and the end of March 2026.
We appreciate the integral part our iCentre teams play within many communities. Our staff are our priority throughout this change and we’re discussing with our iCentre team their options. There will be no compulsory redundancies.
We’re also engaging with stakeholders to discuss local arrangements as we plan the closure programme. “