“Scotland is placed to sell itself as a destination to unwind” – Liz Cameron in the Courier
Sunlight dancing on the water, daffodils and crocuses waving in the Spring breezes are joyous reminders of the beauty of Scotland at this time of year.
There have also been signs of how Scotland’s tourism industry has been flourishing in recent weeks, providing a shelter against some of the ill winds caused by Brexit negotiations.
The recent Scottish Thistle Awards highlighted some of the best we have to offer tourists, and I extend my congratulations to the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) which picked up an award for its pet-friendly holiday initiative, Paws for Thought. The Perth-based group has 650 members across Scotland that play a major role in how visitors experience Scotland, so it is right that imaginative campaigns aimed at welcoming customers should be celebrated.
The author Diana Gabaldon was also given a special honorary Thistle award for her international contribution to Scottish tourism. Whether or not you have read her Outlander series of books or watched the adaptations on television, their impact is palpable. VisitScotland recently highlighted how locations in Scotland used for the series have enjoyed a massive boost in visitor numbers, and not just to Culloden or Doune, but also Aberdour Castle in Angus and Culross Palace in Fife.
The V&A has put Dundee on the global map and will play a major role in the city reaching its ambitious goals of attracting 520,000 staying visitors and 600,000 day visitors by 2020, bringing in an extra £185million to the city’s economy.
Likewise efforts by the East of Scotland Tourism Partnership, formed of the local authorities of Angus, Dundee City, Fife and Perth and Kinross, are a step in the right direction. Their joint proposition, Scotland’s Tay Country, marries the urban delights of Dundee with the amazing countryside around it.
This is bang in line with current and future trends. Tourists are increasingly seeking places for ‘wellness’, such that the market for destinations that offer physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual improvement is growing twice as fast as tourism overall. Underpinning this is recent research led by Aarhus University that confirmed what most of us already knew – spending time out of doors and in green spaces is beneficial for our mental health. Scotland is ideally placed to sell itself as a destination to unwind and thus capture this market
However, in order for tourists to get here, we must ensure they have a competitive offering. If the tortures over the terms of our departure from the European Union has taught us anything, it is the importance of being both outward looking and welcoming.
Scotland has unique levers to maintain its attractiveness to far-flung markets and the devolution of Air Departure Tax (ADT) continues to be a priority for our business members. In addition to strengthening Scotland’s connectivity, it has the potential to boost the economy by an additional £1billion. Whilst we understand the Scottish Government continues to reaffirm its commitment to reducing the overall burden of ADT by 50%, before complete abolition, parliamentary politics stalled the opportunity to pull this economic lever. Business needs to see the Scottish and UK Government working together to overcome barriers and reach a solution that delivers growth for Scotland.
