Government Consultation Summary – April to June 2025The Department for Business & Trade launched a final consultation on proposed amendments to the 2018 PTRs (Package Travel Regulations) on 7 April 2025, which closed on 30 June 2025. This is a follow‑up to a call for evidence held between September and December 2023, the findings of which…
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Tickets are selling fast for the South of Scotland Destination Alliance’s fourth Annual Conference with guest speaker Timmy Mallett announced Tickets are now on sale for the South of Scotland Destination Alliance’s (SSDA) fourth annual conference, a key annual gathering for tourism and hospitality in the South of Scotland with a packed programme of inspiring speakers,…
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Through November 2024, the SSDA hosted 14 Locally Led Destination Development meetings across the South of Scotland, half in-person and half digital.The meetings coveredStaying Connected with Your Local Area Landing Page:Check out your local landing page, and let us know if you have suggestions on content or tile ideas. Remember, our promotional video is for everyone’s…
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Tourism businesses in Dumfries and Galloway, and South and East Ayrshire, are invited to complete a short online survey to share their views on the prospective Galloway National Park. Submit your views here This is a relatively quick initial survey, with the deadline for completion 9 am, Monday 4th November 2024. It aims…
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Further strengthening the South of Scotland’s food and drink offering is a priority within the Responsible Tourism Strategy. On the 29th August 2024, the SSDA convened a roundtable meeting bringing together many of the organisations that are actively involved in supporting food and drink. Challenges, successes and opportunities were discussed and there was a board…
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We welcomed Scotland’s Stories, Graeme Johncock and Molly the Labrador (the Barketing Manager!), to the South of Scotland in May 2024 to immerse himself in our Robert Burns experience. Read his blog here.
The Scottish Borders Space Trail, also known as the Ancrum Astronomy Trail. There are two integrated elements to the installation; models of all eight planets as well as a hemispheric model of the sun itself (around 12.5 meters in diameter). The planets will be situated at their correct scaled positions between Jedburgh and Peebles and will also…
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The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB) Partnership Board has established a Dark Sky Network sub-group, which the SSDA is part of, to promote and support the conservation of dark skies within the UNESCO Biosphere designated area and more widely across the south of Scotland, this includes supporting the preservation of existing designations and the…
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Through February 2024, the SSDA hosted 14 Locally Led Destination Development meetings across the South of Scotland, half in-person and half digital. The meetings:Presented the South of Scotland Responsible Tourism Strategy, highlighting which specific points made locally had directly fed into the strategy, and discussed a local approach to work with and benefit from this new…
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Following the South of Scotland’s remarkable successes in 2023, the SSDA is excited to announce an evolution in its membership proposition for 2024. The SSDA is keen to become the largest, most inclusive, energetic and impactful destination management and marketing organisation in Scotland. We want our consumer-facing destination brand, ‘Scotland Starts Here’ to be…
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