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  6. How The Lomond Leisure Group work with the travel trade

How The Lomond Leisure Group work with the travel trade

5 minute read • Last published: 25 February 2025

The Lomond Group operate five restaurants and bars in central Scotland. They focus on hospitality, sustainability, environment and character. They've capitalised on opportunities with the travel trade.

Their venues include Mharsanta and VanWinkle in Glasgow and the Toolbooth Tavern, Edinburgh. They have big plans to expand this year with more venues opening soon. They've also been working with the trade trade.

We spoke to Sophie Mallon, Chief Marketing Officer of Lomond Leisure Group.

In this article:

  • Working with a travel trade partner
  • Creating unique experiences
  • Advice and support

Working with a travel trade partner

Bar staff making drinks at Mharsanta, Glasgow

Bar staff making drinks at Mharsanta, Glasgow

© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

Opening their first Scottish venue in 2017, Sophie knew she wanted to work with a travel distribution partener and reached out to the experts straight away. 

“We quickly recognised an opportunity to collaborate with VisitScotland and People Make Glasgow (Glasgow Life) to offer our products and services to travel trade partners.” 

Sophie explained how valuable working with a travel partner can be.

“For a small business, travel trade partners can assist in promoting services to a broader audience through their marketing channels, which might otherwise be beyond our budget. This collaboration has been so valuable in expanding our reach and enhancing our offerings.” 

Creating unique experiences

Diners at Mharsanta

Diners at Mharsanta

© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale

Sophie recommends thinking about other businesses in your area that you can collaborate with to create new and unique experiences. 

The Tennent’s Beer Pairing and Scottish Dining Experience combines Mharsanta’s home-cooked style dishes hosted by a beer sommelier from Glasgow’s famous Tennent’s Brewery. 

At the Storytelling, Dinner and a Dram you can experience a kilted actor tell tales about Scotland’s myths, music and food which encourages visitors to feel like a local.  

“Our experiences are crafted to provide visitors with an authentic taste of Scottish culture, making them attractive options for travel trade partners looking to offer unique and memorable experiences to their clients.” 

 

 

How important is collaboration in the travel distribution journey? 

Collaboration is really important when developing new products. Sophie stresses that networking has not only expanded their reach but provided insights into market trends and best practices. 

She explained that "If there are marketing opportunities, interviews, or familiarisation (FAM) trips available that can help you reach a wider audience and showcase your offerings, be sure to seize these opportunities.” 

Lomond Leisure Group have definitely done that, as they’ve been part of marketing campaigns that would otherwise be financially out of reach due to a limited budget.

"Building relationships is crucial when working with the travel trade."

Advice and support

We asked Sophie what advice she would give to another business thinking of developing new products and working with travel distribution partners.

It’s a process that’s taken Sophie and the team time and patience, but she said: “Firstly, get to know your market and build innovative and create experiential packages tailored to them. Attend trade events, build industry relationships and collaborate with other industry partners and local businesses.” 

Their expertise has been essential to our growth and in building and maintaining strong relationships with other industry players.

 

Have you had any support from a partner organisation?

Working with experts has definitely opened doors for Lomond Leisure Group. 

“We have been incredibly fortunate to receive support from partner organisations throughout our travel trade journey. Early on, we attended travel trade workshops that significantly enhanced our industry knowledge and helped us to remain competitive in the market. Once we had trade-ready products, we committed to a travel trade event, marking the true beginning of our journey, followed by a business development mission to the USA and Canada. 

We’re focusing on sustainable tourism working on eco-friendly tourism initiatives to promote sustainability to our visitors.

 

What’s in the future for the Lomond Leisure Group? 

Sophie is ambitious when it comes to developing new and sustainable productsa and they have two new venues opening this year: 

  • the Gael & Grain, a pub in Glasgow’s West End 
  • Kirk O’The Lochs, Loch Lomond, a unique venue set in a historic church, offering an atmospheric dining experience 

 

Create your own quality food experience

Creating a memorable food experience for customers helps to increase your revenue and boost the local economy. Customers love authentic experiences which tell the story of your business, the local area and Scotland’s history and culture.

Deliver a quality food and drink experience

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