South Lanarkshire – a digital-first approach

Our Response

CTConsults was appointed to lead a digital transformation programme aligned with the South Lanarkshire Tourism Strategy 2022–2025. The project aimed to identify digital gaps, improve the online discoverability and bookability of tourism businesses, and build a long-term strategic framework for transformation.

The first stage of the project involved a Digital Maturity Assessment of 45 visitor experiences across the region. This deep dive analysed their websites, booking systems, SEO, social media channels, and distribution through Online Travel Agents (OTAs). From this, seven visitor experience providers applied for and received in-depth one-to-one consultancy support.

Each one was supplied with a bespoke Digital Roadmap, outlining the specific actions to enhance their digital presence. These sessions covered everything from selecting and activating connected online booking systems to improving mobile usability, digital content, analytics tracking, and setting up OTA partnerships. Businesses were empowered with clear steps and realistic recommendations based on their digital maturity scores and operational capacity.

A full-day Digital Awareness Workshop brought together local visitor experience businesses and digital specialists, to inspire and educate around current best practice and trends. The workshop also served as a peer-learning opportunity to share challenges and successes across the sector.

Crucially, the programme culminated in the development of a strategic digital transformation framework for South Lanarkshire Council. This report captured key findings across the sector, identified priority investment areas, and laid out an evidence-led action plan and timeline for scaling digital adoption across the wider tourism ecosystem.