Good morning,
I decided last year to withdraw my membership of 'Visit Scotland' after many years advertising with them.
It's the best decision I had made in a long time, although I am fed up with them still sending me paperwork as though I was still a member, (that sums them up!!!)
Too many fat cats milking the system at the cost of the members, so glad that I have nothing to do with them but just wanted to let you know that you are doing a sterling job and I sincerely hope that some good comes out of it and that the time and effort you have put into this campaign are rewarding...
Very best regards
Dear Alan,
I have had a look at the website and, although no expert, it is probably better than before. However, looking at it from my own point of view and searching for B&Bs in Blairgowrie, the search comes up with only eight. Our B&B should actually be 'By Blairgowrie' being three miles out of town. The initial search is for Blairgowrie or Blairgowrie and East Perthshire, which seems a bit 'wide'.
There are three other B&Bs in this road - none of them listed in a Blairgowrie or even Blairgowrie and East Perthshire search. I appreciate this is no concern of mine, but is not good.
On the page which is supposed to give room rates, no prices are given. Not really much help to anyone.
According to visitscotland, I had one booking through them last year. This year, I have had one already and have not had to pay commission to them so I suppose that is an improvement.
When one considers what other websites can provide for little or no cost, visitscotland seems overpriced.
Hope the above helps.
Thanks for all your hard work on our behalf.
Dear Alan,
After many years of dissatisfaction with the whole system we, as a business have now withdrawn from the QA and will therefore not be advertising with VS anymore.
I don't find the website any better and neither do our guests. We have been conducting a little survey amongst them, asking them to look at the new site, and not one has seen any real improvement. Still too complicated and the main comment has been regarding the links - they don't take you to where you think you are going! Especially the "Check availability" link which still directs you only to the vs.com booking system.
Thank you for all the work you did on the reclaimvs.com front but there are still a great number of businesses out there who are still very unhappy with the service the, and Scotland, gets from both VisitScotland and vs.com.
Unfortunately, there is no alternative and unless there was a concentrated mass exit from the system, nothing will change.
I sound really negative here, but I still think that they haven't got it right - who is benefitting from the amount of money spent? Why does the new site still not appear to be of any value to the service providers? I still have the same amount of visitors that I had when a member of the tourist board. Sorry, Hasn't got my vote and nothing there to attract me back to them.
Dear Allan,
Have just checked the visit scotland website re accommodation availability and the whole of the first page of accommodation in Perth is taken up with those establishments who do on line bookings - this is followed by establishments who normally do on-line but at this moment in time are book by phone and then and only then come the rest of us.
Thank you so much for all your efforts on our behalf - I think the whole visit scotland set up stinks!! - I am a 4 star guest house (have been for about 16 years) and so far this year I have not had one single booking through the Visit Scotland bookings set up.
A friend with a B&B in Leven (Dunclutha) forwarded your email asking for info on the new visitscotland.com website. I have put this info on the UKAPAS site. For your info. On the new visitscotland.com website each accommodation provider can be contacted by 2 routes. The left hand side of the website is called a Visitors guide and the right hand side is called the Travel Shop. Both sides will take you to the page for each accommodation provider and each side will have the email address and website for each accommodation provider shown in the further details section. If you try to send an email from this part of the leftside 'Visitor guide'-it does indeed come directly to the accommodation provider's inbox. However if you do exactly the same thing on the right hand 'Travel shop' side of the website- then although you have clicked the accommodation provider's e mail link, the message goes to the visitscotland.com call centre and one of their staff phones you with the enquiry. This of course results in a 10% commission being paid to VS.com
I have already replied to your original email. I have just tried to access my accommodation on Visitscotland to show a friend. After approx 20 mins we found the flat but then another ten to find my email address. I have just realised I have had no enquiries since February and would be interested to know when the VS website changed. I have up to now put this down to time of year, economic conditions etc but as I have no bookings at present till late June I am beginning to wonder. This is the worst season so far and this is my third. The only business I have at present is repeat and friends. I feel we are being punished for complaining. The website is now much worse. There seems to be no way to access self catering in Kirkcaldy specifically. How can we resolve this? Looking forward to getting collective feedback.
They have a lot of ground to cover if they wish to make up for the grave damage they have caused the B&B sector over the past 6 years.
Nevertheless, looking over the site I see a large range of improvements, and far better ease of use. I have two main criticisms though.
1. The idea that you start your holiday by clicking the button that says "Start Shopping" is offensively commercial. And potentially both confusing and off-putting. Why not stop being so clever and simply have that button state "Start Booking".
2. Why oh why is it so hard for them to have a clickable map? The first click on a region would call up a new window with that region very much enlarged. At present if someone wants to book a holiday on one of the islands, the only chance is if you know the name of the island and go through several pages of listings to find what's
available in the large region that the island is a part of...
Terrible. This is a VERY mainland-centric approach. Our experience with people coming here is that frequently they are exploring the islands, and that is what drives them to Gigha along the way. A clickable map would make this so so much easier.
If they can't do it, then I think I'll start a website called VisitScottishislands.com - the whole approach of the new site makes it very difficult for people looking to visit the western isles / Hebrides, and these after all are a major tourist pull.
All the best,
Hi
i live at linlithgow could be better signed as i had to go too number 26 i think to get all the linlithgw addresses. although much better than before. you have put in a lot of effort
My personal axe that I grind is finding accessable accommodation. It took me three attempts to find a search that gave me a guest house that catered for people with disability. I got hotels twice? If I had limited dextrous ability I would have to be pretty determined! There is no page 1 guide for people with any special needs, (including vegetarians etc) it comes up after you have done at least one ordinary search maybe I was being thick? Although it did come up on the very uninspired site map list thing.
Dear Alan Keith
Sorry I am not impressed. I find each page too busy too many distractions to click onto.
Visitors guide No mention of booking direct with the owner. Travel shop £4
Does not entice me to rejoin
Interested to hear the results of your survey
Dear Alan
Thanks for the message. I am not at all happy with the new site
and have written to visit scotland regarding this. Please see attached. ..
Visit Scotland tell me that a great deal of research has gone into the web design. However to me it is not very good at all. I find it difficult to navigate and if this is the case for someone who speaks english then there is not much hope for foreigners!
We have already replied, since then I have found more wrong.............. Click on start planning, select No 8 - Argyll Islands etc etc.... the only option for our area is Campbeltown - click on that (history comes down) you need to select accommodation on the left hand side, click on self catering - a very small selection comes down - where is Muasdale, where is Tarbert, Bellochantuy, Clachan, Carradale, Skipness etc etc - how the heck is someone expected to find us ?? I left a message with Oban office who promised to get back to us on Friday - have they - what do you think !!
Hi Allan:
I have tried on several occasions to navigate this VS site, looking for specific information, as any potential visitor might do. Many of the links are not functioning and when you mange to navigate round them, it still does not provide general information of interest to a first time American visitor
- like weather, electrical etc. All of which used to be supplied in print.
I despair of the political masters who try to do what the trade does - the hard sell and creation of suitable itineraries for each visitor. It is the job of the TOs to provide the background and links to the professional help that is available in the North American travel trade.