Proud and valued people
"People are at the heart of Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industry. By investing in skills, supporting Fair Work and creating clear career pathways, we can help build a workforce that is resilient, diverse and proud to be part of the sector."
Kelly Johnstone, The Springboard Charity and Lawrence Durden, Skills Development Scotland
Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industry depends on a skilled, resilient and diverse workforce. This mission focuses on supporting Fair Work practices, strengthening career pathways and helping businesses attract, develop and retain talent. It aims to improve perceptions of the sector and ensure the workforce reflects the diversity of modern Scotland.
Key priorities:
- supporting workforce development and Fair Work practices
- promoting tourism and hospitality careers
- encouraging skills development, diversity and inclusion
Sustainable transport
"Sustainable transport is essential to the future of Scotland’s visitor economy. By improving connectivity and championing rail as a sustainable travel choice, we can make it easier for visitors to explore Scotland while supporting our net zero ambitions."
Chris Greenwood, Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development
Transport plays a vital role in supporting Scotland’s visitor economy. This mission focuses on sustainable connectivity, with rail at its heart. By improving access to destinations and encouraging sustainable travel choices, it aims to support economic growth, accessibility and Scotland’s net zero ambitions.
Key priorities:
- promoting rail as a sustainable travel option
- supporting connectivity betwen destinations and transport networks
- encouraging integrated transport solutions for visitors
Community-led tourism
"Tourism the world over needs to be realigned to deliver for host communities and their environment first.
Scotland is leading the way with our pioneering community empowerment and community wealth building legislation, which is enabling more and more communities to become active players in the visitor economy. And we need to value and invest in this.
Communities are increasingly important players in the Scottish visitor economy and by placing communities at the heart of decision-making, we will ensure tourism delivers lasting value for residents, businesses and visitors alike."
Carron Tobin, RuralDimensions Ltd, SCOTO CIC and Scottish Community Alliance
This mission focuses on Scotland’s people and places. It seeks to ensure tourism provides meaningful benefits in our communities, supports local wellbeing and furthers environmental and cultural stewardship.
Key priorities:
- measuring tourism's impact on and in communities
- supporting community involvement in tourism delivery and planning
- investing in community-led tourism initiatives
Pathway to Net Zero
"The Scottish Government and Parliament declared a climate emergency as an existential risk in 2019 with a legal requirement to achieve Net Zero by 2045. In 2021 Scotland hosted the launch of UN Tourism’s Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, which was signed by VisitScotland and other stakeholders during COP26, bringing together tourism organisations worldwide in a shared commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero by 2050.
Sustainability is central to Scotland Outlook 2030. The tourism and hospitality industry is both a vital economic sector and a powerful platform for demonstrating Scotland’s sustainability ambitions. By understanding, measuring and reducing its carbon footprint, the sector can build resilience, enhance competitiveness, meet evolving visitor expectations, and position Scotland as a global leader in sustainable tourism."
Benjamin Carey FTS, Carey Tourism
Key priorities:
- establishing a carbon baseline and developing consistent emissions reporting
- encouraging policy cohesion
- fostering broad stakeholder collaboration to accelerate progress towards Net Zero
Data and technology empowerment
“Data, AI and technology are reshaping the rules of tourism. To drive smarter growth, we must democratise access to high-quality, trusted tourism data, ensuring every business in Scotland has the detailed insights needed for precise decision-making.
At the same time, we must build practical AI skills across the industry. Used correctly, AI is a massive equalizer that levels the playing field for small businesses, boosts productivity, and safeguards our world-class workforce, by freeing them up to provide incredible human-support.
By equipping our amazing staff with both trusted data and the latest AI skills, we can make sure they can confidently navigate future trends and elevate the visitor experience."
Joshua Ryan-Saha, Traveltech for Scotland at Edinburgh Futures Institute
Access to high-quality data, technology and artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in helping Scotland’s tourism industry adapt and grow. This mission aims to improve access to insights, tools and innovation that support productivity, informed decision making and better visitor experiences.
Key priorities:
- improving access to timely and actionable insight
- supporting the adoption of technology and AI
- encouraging collaboration between industry, technology and academia
