# Scottish Tourism Campaigns VisitScotland Used NYC Tartan Week to Drive Scotland Tourism In The USA By Adam Harrie | Published 2026-04-15 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/VisitScotland References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scotland-brings-tartan-taxis-to-manhattan-for-nyc-tartan-week-302738788.html)  [VisitScotland](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/destinationbranded-transportation) unveiled tartan-wrapped taxis across Manhattan as the centerpiece of its NYC Tartan Week activation, targeting American travelers as part of its [Scotland tourism USA strategy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/under-one-roof-exhibition). The US is the country's largest and highest-spending international visitor market, accounting for 22% of all overseas trips in 2024. The VisitScotland NYC Tartan Week push included performers from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo posing against the Manhattan skyline, led by [Outlander TV](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sassenach-wild-scottish-gin) star Sam Heughan. The campaign also highlighted direct flights from New York to Glasgow as a practical gateway for American travelers. The campaign is also supported by media engagement, a tourism panel and travel trade events. VisitScotland demonstrates that culturally rooted street activations tied to national calendar moments can generate earned media and trade engagement simultaneously in a key overseas market. Image Credit: Shutterstock/RightFramePhotoVideo ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 71% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Culturally Branded Urban Activations:** High-visibility, locally themed street takeovers create new channels for destinations to convert cultural symbolism into measurable tourism interest. - **Celebrity-driven Cultural Marketing:** Leveraging recognizable talent tied to cultural narratives amplifies storytelling reach and reshapes perceptions of niche travel experiences among target demographics. - **Gateway Flight Promotion Integration:** Pairing promotional campaigns with highlighted direct routes reframes travel convenience as a key decision driver and opens space for integrated airline-tourism partnerships. ### Where This Applies - **Tourism and Hospitality:** Destination brands coordinating city activations and trade engagement can redefine seasonality and length-of-stay economics in source markets. - **Outdoor Advertising and Media:** Tactile, culturally resonant out-of-home formats offer alternative monetizable touchpoints that merge experiential marketing with earned editorial coverage. - **Airlines and Route Development:** Air carriers aligning route promotion with destination marketing presents opportunities to monetize gateway visibility and influence route viability through demand stimulation. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Nature-Centered City Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/visit-seattle.md) - [Inaugural Vodka Billboard Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alb-vodka.md) - [Athletic Event-Timed Tech Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tcl.md) - [Colorful Promotional Travel Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/curaao-tourist-board.md) - [Rideshare St. Patrick's Day Campaign](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/st-patricks-day-campaign.md) - [Taxi Driver-Centric Branded Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/taxi-driver.md) - [Regional Travel Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wego-and-visit-qatar.md) - [Interactive Traveler-Focused Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/100-travelers.md) - [Festival-Inspired Luxury Fashion Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/british-music-culture.md)