Grants totalling more than £73,000 have been approved for two schemes which will help bring tourists and visitors to the city.
Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee today agreed the monies for VisitAberdeenshire. A total of £23,932 will be used for VisitAberdeenshire’s Cruise Volunteer Programme and £50,000 for its Northern Nights campaign.
Council Culture spokesperson Councillor Martin Greig said: “Aberdeen is a beautiful and historic place and we look forward to sharing it with visitors from abroad and other parts of the country.
“These two schemes from VisitAberdeenshire will help to attract more people to the city and area and will guide them to what there is to discover while they are here.”
Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “Both of these VisitAberdeenshire projects are excellent ways of helping tourists and visitors orientate themselves while they are in the city.
“We want to attract more people to come and experience Aberdeen for themselves and being able to offer added benefits through the campaign and cruise volunteer scheme will help to do just that.”
The Cruise 'Welcome' Volunteer Scheme was created to meet and help orientate visitors during their first moments in Aberdeen, focusing primarily on cruise passengers arriving in the city.
The programme aims to provide a positive first impression of the region, create fulfilling volunteering opportunities that upskill local people and generate civic pride, and change the narrative of the region as a tourism destination.
This funding will enhance the delivery and experience of the welcome volunteer scheme, supporting programme development and preparation for the 2026 season through additional training and recruitment to grow the volunteer pool to 40 people.
By driving more footfall into Aberdeen businesses during the cruise season, engaging local residents as volunteers, and fostering civic pride, the programme benefits the local economy, people, and place.
The "Northern Nights: The City Comes to Light" campaign will promote Aberdeen as a vibrant winter destination in early 2026, leveraging cultural events like SPECTRA and Granite Noir to boost hotel occupancy, visitor footfall, and revenue, while supporting local tourism and hospitality businesses through targeted marketing, digital cultural trail maps, and night-time city photography.
The proposed Northern Nights: the City comes to Light campaign will also promote experiences in the city during the early months of 2026 when nights are longer. The message will be about making this a positive reason to travel and Visit Aberdeenshire intends to bolster hotel occupancy and revenue per available room during these times in the city centre.
VisitAberdeenshire CEO Chris Foy said "Attention is already turning towards the 2026 cruise season, and this award will not only help to deliver thousands of warm welcomes to our visitors but also contribute towards making volunteering a highly positive experience for local participants. And whilst Aberdeen currently enjoys the early summer sunshine, planning is underway to grow the visitor economy during the winter season.
“Our inaugural Northern Nights campaign in 2024/25 resulted in over £1/2million of additional visitor spend, demonstrating that our part of the world can shine brightly during the darker months. This funding award will allow us to build on the momentum already created."
The report to committee said allocation of grant funding is from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The UKSPF money was allocated to the City Council by the UK Government. The core UKSPF element can be used across three priority areas - community and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.