In March 2021, the First Minister announced a new £25 million tourism recovery programme. The recovery proposals were developed by the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) in collaboration with members of the Tourism Task Force and represent initiatives which are over and above the scope of current public agency funding.
It was the recommendation of STERG and the Tourism Task Force that these proposals would not only accelerate recovery in the short term, allowing tourism to once again contribute to communities and to the economy of Scotland, but would also provide the foundation for a sustainable recovery of Scottish tourism in the medium to long term, setting us back on track towards the ambitions of Scotland Outlook 2030.
The Scottish Tourism Emergency response Group (STERG) coordinated the delivery of these projects. The 10 recovery proposals are detailed on this page:
- International demand building
- Destination and sector marketing fund
- ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme – social tourism
- Days Out incentive scheme
- Visitor management strategic infrastructure planning and delivery
- Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme 2021/22 (phase two)
- Leadership development to boost product innovation
- Destination Net Zero
- Scottish Tourism Observatory
- Investment models to support Scottish tourism recovery
1. International demand building
The Scotland is Calling campaign has been a huge success with campaign videos being viewed over 114 million times in our priority international markets (final results still coming in), with a high level of engagement.
Traffic to visitscotland.com increased by 44% during the equivalent 7-month period year on year, and SEO searches for Scotland increased by 16%.
Tour operators are reporting bookings for Q3 2022 at similar levels to 2019, and strong demand for 2023.
£1.4 million in grants were awarded to Scottish based inbound tour operators (Inbound Operator Marketing Fund – IOMF) to promote Scotland tours in key international markets. Activity delayed due to Omicron – initial reports due May 2022.
Search and booking figures from Expedia in North America, show strong upwards trend, outstripping some of our key competitors who were not active during the same period, showing the value of sustained investment.
Project owner | VisitScotland and partners
Campaign and fund activity delivered as a result of STERG's international demand building recovery investment gave Scottish tourism businesses a head start in recovery once travel restrictions eased; however it is critical that investment continues as travel from all international markets increases. International visitors spend up to five times more than their UK equivalents, and are more likely to visit multiple regions of Scotland – meeting our responsible tourism objectives; so continued investment in this area will enable Scotland to make a long term step change in the number of international visitors.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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2. Destination and sector marketing fund
Overall, the Destination & Sector Marketing Fund has supported 73 destination organisations and sector groups to develop and promote unique visitor propositions to a domestic audience. These campaigns were focused on positioning Scotland as a year-round destination to help stimulate immediate recovery.
The fund operated across three tiers offering different levels of awards. Tier 1 was open to the cities and offered the largest level of award, tier 2 was open to regional destination organisations and national sector groups with tier 3 available for local destinations and regional sector groups.
Across the main award and the subsequent top up the Destination & Sector Marketing Fund has distributed a total of £4,531,648 across the three tiers.
This has meant that 50 destinations have been supported representing 30 of the 32 Local Authorities across Scotland as well as 23 regional and national sector groups which operate across the country ensuring that the funding has been able to have an impact nationally.
Project owner | VisitScotland and partners
The Destination & Sector Marketing Fund has provided a vital source of funds for destination & sector groups at a time when they had spent the majority of the last two years focused on providing vital support to members and businesses that they work with to help to support their survival beyond coronavirus (COVID-19).
The fund gave them the opportunity to re-focus on marketing and look towards a post-COVID world. For a lot of groups it was the first time that they have been asked to position their destination or sector in a way that translated into a consumer experience that was entirely driven by consumer insights as well as responsible tourism principals.
Working with these groups has provided VisitScotland with hugely valuable insights into the skillsets of these groups that can potentially inform how we support and work with these groups going forward. The fund has also been a great opportunity for VisitScotland to work collaboratively and build relationships with them and it’s important for a sustainable long-term recovery that this momentum and collaboration is not lost.
Recommendations:
- Continue to work closely with groups to ensure that insight and responsible tourism are central to what they do.
- Look for opportunities to collaborate whether that is in kind support or joint activity where possible.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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3. ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme – social tourism
Destination related:
- Boost to the regional investment (accommodation, retail, transport, hospitality, attractions, cultural sector)
- Promotion of a destination’s tourism potential to the wider public
Social:
- Increased citizenship awareness and participation in community life
- Health & mental health benefits
Project owner | VisitScotland and partners
This programme is still live and will run until December 2022. Final observations and recommendations will be produced and shared at the end of the scheme.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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4. Days Out incentive scheme
- 144 visitor attractions, activity providers and day tour operators benefited from £1.6 million Grant Award funding
- Over 240 individual days out offers promoted on www.visitscotland.com
- VisitScotland’s Scotland targeted marketing campaign reached over 1.1 million views across national and regional media, including paid social, press, radio and digital ads plus owned channels promotion
- Over 143.000 pageviews of the Great Days Out campaign page on www.visitscotland.com
- 37.000 referrals generated to participating businesses
Project owner | VisitScotland and partners
Any future off-season promotion should launch from September to give seasonal businesses a boost to their late season. Enabling activity to span two financial years – in this instance, businesses reopening from April 2022 could have utilised funding to support their reopening for the spring season and to boost ticket sales while footfall remained below peak-season.
There's no cohesive ticketing solution in place – VisitBritain were able to facilitate a similar scheme through their TXGB platform. That scheme had other delivery challenges, but the digital infrastructure would be an advantage when running any similar cross-industry promotions in future. Industry embraced the marketing toolkit provided – high numbers using the Great Days Out logo across their own websites and social media channels. This successfully created a cohesive look and feel to consumers, with one clear message running from the VisitScotland awareness campaign through to the individual business offers.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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5. Visitor management strategic infrastructure planning and delivery
Initially 11 plans were approved for funding from the £500.000 secured for phase 1 delivery. Utilising underspend from the Better Places Fund a further 13 have been approved for development. Our total support for these plans now comes to £775,542.
Of the first batch of 11 STIDPs, eight local authorities have now submitted completed plans. Although 1 has not provided costs at this stage, the total value of the other seven plans comes in at over £23 million for the first three years. The remaining three are due for completion in the next three months.
Those Authorities which have completed their STIDP submitted an additional 24 applications for further detailed development grant to work up the projects ready for implementation by 1 April 2023. Of these, 16 were approved in March 2022.
With a further 13 new strategic development plans still at the initiation phase, there is strong evidence of a pipeline of projects for the next 3-5 years which will address the strategic priorities and key infrastructure issues across significant tracts of rural Scotland.
Project owner: VisitScotland and partners
The success of the first phase of the the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development (STID) plans prompted a decision to extend the STID plans to other areas in rural Scotland and 13 new STID Plans have been approved from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway. As a result of the STID planning process, from 1 April 2023, RTIF will focus on the delivery of the strategic plan activity from the pipeline of project identified over the next 5 years. Significantly additional sums will be required from Scottish Government to deliver these with the value of the first 11 STID plans put at around £29 million with an estimated £34 million for delivery of the following 13 approved plans.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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6. Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme 2021/22 (phase two)
The National Transition Training Fund Programme (Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme) has been extended until the end of June. To-date 1,350 participants have undertaken the training with 449 businesses engaging with the programme from across Scotland with additional stand alone modules scheduled for May/June with 300 places available. Participant feedback shows 96% of participants either satisfied or extremely satisfied with the programme.
The Head Chef training has been completed with 66 participants undertaking the training. Feedback from the programme was extremely positive with 100% of participants who returned feedback questionnaires saying they would recommend the training to colleagues or externally.
The Collective Labour Saving Technology research and pilots have been completed and a final report received which will be disseminated to industry partners and stakeholders.
The Climate Emergency training has been completed with 67 participants completing the training. Two climate emergency webinars were delivered to 74 participants. The course was well received with participants highly engaged throughout.
The mental health and wellbeing programme was over-subscribed with additional funding made available from Skills Development Scotland to allow increased numbers to be trained. 148 delegates undertook the range of training including 68 who achieved the mental health first aid certificate. Extremely positive feedback on the training received from the participant survey.
The Tourism Induction Toolkit has been delivered by J&G3 and is now ready to be shared with businesses across the sector through a range of industry portals.
The training programme, Complete Storytelling, has been completed with 10 training programmes delivered to 205 participants.
The Talent Attraction programme has been delivered by Springboard with 92 industry ambassadors signed up as industry ambassadors and 303 young people registered on the Careerscope portal. Over 800 school and college students have engaged with the sector through the Springboard Futurechef programme and other outreach activity. 722 senior pupils have had access to chef specific on-line resources from 45 schools across Scotland.
The Disability / Inclusion Programme has so far trained 120 tourism employees with an additional 80 scheduled to be trained up to the end of June.
Project owner | Skills Development Scotland and partners
The key challenges that we are facing as an industry can only be adequately dealt with by having in place strong leadership and management across all areas of our industry. This programme will give the future leaders of our industry the skills, knowledge and networks to make an impact when the green shoots appear.
Proposed timing: September 2021 to April 2022
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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7. Leadership development to boost product innovation
216 additional tourism leaders with skills in areas including destination development and management, responsible tourism and net zero; community tourism and destination governance are now active in the visitor economy across Scotland. They join an existing network of more than 500 destination, community and rural tourism leaders. Their learning is now being applied in areas identified as key to the sector’s post-coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery including the development of destination climate action plans, community wealth building activity and the repositioning of Scotland’s visitor offer as a responsible tourism destination.
Ten innovative recovery projects have been created and delivered, led by destination and community leaders in collaboration with industry, public, third sector and academic partners.
Outputs include:
- A community calculator allowing the business events sector to record and measure the impacts of conferences to the host community – providing data to positively influence conference bids and manage community impact
- Improved visitor management in fragile rural communities using IoT (internet of things) to facilitate safe and sustainable tourism including engagement with local communities ensuring responsible tourism is delivered
- The joint development and implementation of innovative digital solutions within Scotland’s visitor attraction sector enabling increased revenues and greater resilience whilst encouraging sustainable management of attractions
- A community wealth building approach led through the creation of Scotland Community Tourism Network – generating revenues across this growing element of the tourism supply chain
Further outputs include:
- A robust and sustainable commercial business model for Scotland’s agritourism sector lead body
- A framework to drive collaborative product development with small & medium enterprises in the visitor economy using local assets and working with existing and emerging leaders
Project owner | Enterprise Agencies and partners
An innovation fund was a positive opportunity to stimulate collaboration across the industry, however, more time for industry to develop their collaborations and implement and deliver their projects could have produced even greater outputs. There are many benefits to be gained from working with trusted partners on a programme where there are time constraints and a significant number of outputs to be met. By ensuring that these partners are aware of the expectations placed upon them to deliver against the agreed anticipated outputs from the programme inception the three agencies were able to take an agile approach and deliver a new approach at pace.
This is one of the first times that a three-agency approach to developing innovation across the tourism industry has been taken. The outcomes have been very positive and joint working like this should be continued. The destination management and community tourism spaces are changing rapidly. Scotland aims to be a leader in 21 century tourism particularly with a focus on responsible tourism and a transition to low carbon – there must be continued investment in the leaders of our industry and in innovation.
Future investment to support the above would benefit from adequate time for joint planning and development between agencies and with industry.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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8. Destination Net Zero
The Destination Net Zero project has set the conditions to create a greener tourism sector which demonstrates commitment through delivery to Scotland’s Net Zero agenda and Tourism Outlook 2030 aims. It has created a robust, globally recognised evidence base against which industry ambitions will be developed, monitored and supported. The project has developed a framework for a sector which invests in its people, businesses, places and communities confirming Scotland’s position as a responsible tourism destination. It has positioned Scotland as a global leader in the development of policy, strategy and actions to enable a transition to a net zero visitor economy.
The project has supported the sector to have the capacity, capability and innovation ability to invest in low carbon initiatives. It has increased business resilience and set the scene across Scotland within all business sizes for the adoption of carbon reducing strategies. The project has pump-primed tourism destinations and communities to collaborate around low carbon initiatives and provided exemplars to inspire further action.
Specific outputs:
- 19 infrastructure investments were delivered creating a portfolio of demonstration projects across Scotland’s anchor tourism assets – showcasing carbon reduction measures and development approaches which can be replicated
- Additional leverage of £3.73 million investment from other sources as a result of a £1.9 million DNZ infrastructure investment in 19 projects
- Innovation and community wealth creation projects delivered in remote rural locations with long-term assets including community owned EV and e-bike infrastructure
- Support provided to circa 310 businesses to undertake carbon reduction activities including development of carbon monitoring plans, installation of kit including EV charge facilities and food waste reduction measures
- Engagement of 231 businesses through a range of events, one to many, one to few and online engagements (workshops, seminars etc), and over 7000 stakeholders engaged through online channels
- 47 media pieces mentioning Destination Net Zero with a reach of over 8,560,725
- Creation and ongoing development of online industry facing resources through dedicated Destination Net Zero space on visitscotland.org
- Creation of new digital tool which uses geospatial data to engage EV drivers and e-bike users with nature and local communities whilst charging
- Delivery of a suite of research and evidence including, informing on attitudes and industry capabilities around carbon reduction:
- Scottish tourism carbon baseline
- Tourism business research
- Consumer research
- Development of an action plan for Destination Net Zero Phase II
- Circular Village/circular economy study for the events and creative sector
- Events sector Net Zero action plan
Project owner | Enterprise Agencies and partners
Destination Net Zero (DNZ) is an excellent example of joint agency working in a complex and evolving policy area. From concept to delivery the project partners were agile, flexible and focused on delivering the most relevant set of interventions to set the groundwork for the future.
There is evidence of genuine appetite from industry to step-up to the challenge of transition to net zero in the visitor economy, but support will be required from a joined up public sector to help them to do so. Scotland is achieving global recognition for its forward-looking approach to addressing the climate emergency. There are collaborative opportunities to do more in this space, but this will require ongoing commitment from the current (and potentially broader) government agency partnership to realise this.
The foundations have been created for a long-term approach to DNZ for Scotland’s tourism industry. However, without further commitment of funding and resources from across the Scottish Government family of agencies momentum now achieved will quickly be lost. There is a good deal of business as usual which can be tapped into to support Scotland’s tourism sector however, as evidenced by the Destination Net Zero Phase two action plan, there are a number of priorities which still require to be resourced.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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9. Scottish Tourism Observatory
The target phase 1 outputs were achieved within the funded period (up to March 2022) as follows:
- Phase 1 user research
- Phase 1 data discovery
- Identification of technical requirements
- Phase 1 options appraisal
- Phase 1 commission, design and build of an MVP, an initial product consisting of development of a website and provision of back-end architecture and data pipeline for the observatory
- A workstream of Stakeholder engagement and support from the tourism industry for the project
Phase 2 planning and business case is contingent on further funding being available to support the ongoing development of the observatory.
Project owner | VisitScotland and partners
The need and desire amongst stakeholders for the data and service that the Observatory can provide is clear. The launch of the initial website provides a very tangible launchpad for further developments – improving existing data, creating new data to meet unfulfilled needs, and creating connections between stakeholders with similar challenges and objectives.
Sustained funding should be identified to continue this work in the current year and beyond.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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10. Investment models to support Scottish tourism recovery
The research attempted to present an overview of the financing of the Scottish Tourism sector drawing from available data and intelligence. This used the FAME database which draws information from annual accounts filed at Companies House.
Through stakeholder engagement and consultation, information was also gathered on the investment funding options currently available to tourism businesses and the challenges that businesses in tourism faced in obtaining finance to invest. A number of considerations for Scottish Government and its agencies in the development of any future investment options in support of the Scottish tourism sector and a range of possible options were also identified.
The findings of the research included:
- Banks are the most active participants in tourism funding market
- Other participants include lending from other companies, generally from related party entities, or in some limited cases from suppliers
- Other (non-bank) lenders such as asset based finance providers also play a minor role in providing secured lending
At the time of the data being gathered:
- A significant portion of businesses had interest cover less than 1x EBIT. This suggests that these entities may struggle to obtain additional funding as lenders may have concerns about their ability to service debt
- Around one in ten businesses had a debt ratio in excess of 60% with these entities possibly finding that existing debt levels are too high to obtain more lending as banks may have concerns about whether there are sufficient assets to enable repayment in an insolvency scenario
- A large portion of entities had a liquidity ratio of <10% which may indicate a lack of available cash or liquid assets to fund investment, or to make payments on new or existing lending
Given the point at which this data was captured by Companies House, these KPIs are likely to have deteriorated in the last 12- 15 months as a result of the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).
A number of considerations were identified which will require to be resolved in the event that any future Scottish Government or agency investment intervention is to be developed. These included as aspects such as approach, pricing, sustainability and eligibility criteria, in response to what is a very diverse sector with many micro and small businesses.
A number of different financing options were also identified. These included mezzanine finance, mezzanine finance plus additional bank or shareholder borrowing, bank lending guarantees, preference shares, equity.
Project owner | Scottish Enterprise and partners
Whilst there has been no immediate delivery or investment product developed in support of tourism business recovery, in part due to affordability, the findings of the research project will provide insight and useful guidance should this become a policy imperative for the Scottish Government and its agencies in the future.
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Anticipated outcome |
Status update: May 2022 |
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The Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund
The Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund is a pilot initiative designed to support more extensive and collaborative projects from visitor hotspots across Scotland that are facing immediate and damaging pressures on their infrastructure or negative impacts on communities as a result of significant increases in visitor numbers since the summer of 2020.
The Strategic Tourism Development plans will identify the key infrastructure issues at various locations, the barriers to be addressed including planning, environmental impact, legal and landowner issues, the costs for the development of the infrastructure, and the timescales required for delivery of the essential infrastructure over the next two - five year period. These development plans are due for completion by the end of December 2021.
Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development plans - approved
Orkney Island Council. Orkney Infrastructure Development Plan. £35,000.
Key outputs
(1) A prioritised list of strategic infrastructure (physical and digital) projects to be delivered over a five-year period from 2022 together with high-level costings and analysis of key issues and risks.
(2) A comprehensive destination asset audit of (i) existing provision of tourism-specific infrastructure as well as infrastructure and facilities that support tourism (including but not limited to) accommodation, transport, natural and cultural heritage, public conveniences, parking, roads, waste disposal, paths and trails, camping and motorhome facilities; and (ii) existing programmes and projects, both ongoing and planned.
(3) Framework for an Interpretation Strategy, including themes for interpretation and visitor experience, supported by a more consistent and integrated approach which will essentially leverage Orkney’s stories to disperse visitors across the Islands and informing the development of the infrastructure plan.
Dumfries & Galloway Council. Loch Ken – Visitor Infrastructure Plan. £20,250.
The Loch Ken Plan due to be published in June 21 highlights the need for a strategic review of tourist infrastructure around the Loch, both in accurately and consistently measuring the infrastructure currently in place, and identifying opportunities for considered, appropriate and sustainable improvements to align Loch Ken and its visitor offering with the overarching aims of ‘quality’ and ‘sustainability’. A strategic development plan would be an opportunity to embed these aims further and establish what opportunities these aims would bring in terms of visitor infrastructure.
A vital part of the strategic infrastructure review will be to calculate metrics measuring the economic benefit currently being delivered by the Loch currently, as well as the potential economic benefit following the delivery of potential infrastructure items. The plan would establish the tourism infrastructure limitations and opportunities.
The plan will focus on identifying infrastructure assets currently in place and their condition, a signage audit, establishing Land Ownership of potential local authority or Hydro Scheme assets, electric charging infrastructure opportunities, best practice examples at similar sites and projected costings of potential works.
East Lothian Council. East Lothian Visitor Management Plan. £30,000.
Last year exceeded all previous years with an estimated extra 1,000,000 visits to sites in East Lothian despite coastal beauty spot car parks being closed until late June. East Lothian and its coastline is a relatively small area and the visitor management plan would look to cover the whole of county, looking at the relationship between the coastline and the countryside as well acknowledging the role of the key tourist towns namely North Berwick and Dunbar.
Both offer significant opportunities and challenges with visitors and a long term plan addressing current and future pressure points is required. Identifying ways of improving visitor flow throughout the county, and providing alternatives to the usual hotspots will be investigated.
The plan would address issues relating to but not only; transport including parking, public transport and active travel options, litter management, visitor flow, waste services and toilet facilities, business opportunities, specific community issues, seasonality, environmental sensitivities, climate change and sustainability implications. Finally each project identified would be further developed into fully formulated costed briefs to be matched to Council funding priorities and external funding opportunities.
Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). Cairngorms Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan. £35,000.
The increase in visitors, now amounting to over two million visitors a year, is putting pressure on this heritage and it is imperative that we plan and manage for visitors in a way that reflects this international national asset. A new strategic approach to planning, delivery and management of visitor infrastructure will play a significant part in this process.
CNPA propose to develop a Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan for the National Park, focusing on four hotspots and one Park-wide issue. Deeside, Cairngorms / Glenmore, the Angus Glens, Snow Roads Route and Park-wide Camping / Caravan issues.
The plan will correspond with the Visitor Management Plans that have been developed with partners in response to the COVID-19 emergency. In particular, the plan will help identify a number of mutually reinforcing projects in specific areas at the visitor pressure points and take them to the stage where they have appropriate designs, accurate cost estimates and, as far as possible, consents in place. This process will greatly facilitate delivery of the projects as further funds become available.
Approved subject to conditions
Perth & Kinross Council. Perth and Kinross Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Plan. £35,000.
Perth & Kinross Visitor Management Group (PKVMG) has identified eight hotspots including Loch Rannoch, Loch Earn, Loch Leven, Loch Tay and Loch Tummel. Perth & Kinross Council propose to appoint a seven-month post to collate data, conduct visitor and community consultation and prepare the Strategic Plan in conjunction with the Visitor Management Co-ordinator and PKVMG.
Step one (2021 camping season – until September / October 2021)
- Gathering and organising more formal evidence about visitor pressures
- Monitoring or surveying visitor experience satisfaction
- Conducting community consultations to identify potential improvements, both infrastructure and staffing approach.
Step two (until December 2021 with some elements running until April 2022)
- Develop a long-term strategic plan and tactical options for season 2022 and beyond.
- Conduct feasibility studies, costings and other preparatory work including:
- Identification and liaison with landowners,
- environmental impact assessments
- ensuring compliance with planning and environmental legislation,
- identifying potential opportunities for partnership with local businesses,
- identifying and pursuing relevant funding opportunities,
- assisting with planning application process etc,
- agreeing future maintenance responsibilities.
City of Edinburgh Council. Pentland Hills Regional Park Sustainable Access Project. £31,500.
Visitor surveys (1998, 2006, 2018) consistently show that up to 85% of visitors travel by car to the Regional Park and the pressure on the limited parking resource has increased year on year with more calls for improvements by visitors and nearby residents who are impacted by displacement parking.
This plan involves the development of strategic active travel routes that link up the major urban areas to the Pentland Hills Regional Park (PHRP). The Strategic Plan would highlight the key improvements required for each pressure point and explore the creation of safer pathways for all user on these routes and how they can be promoted.
The plan will also link in with the NatureScot ambition to greening these strategy routes by creating green corridors which link urban areas to the countryside. The Council will work with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) to deliver the Strategic Plan.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Outer Hebrides: Visitor Infrastructure Plan. £25,000.
The project will look at the current profile of visitor activity across the Outer Hebrides and challenges arising, alongside projected areas for sectoral growth which may give rise to future pressure points. It will seek to work closely with, and within, communities across the Outer Hebrides to identify how infrastructure provision can be enhanced in a way that improves outcomes for visitors, local residents and the environment.
The project will:
- Identify what the key challenges of visitor management are across the Outer Hebrides. Looking at how these factors differ in nature and intensity across the island chain and how they are currently addressed.
- Identify key areas for infrastructure improvement, giving an outline of what will be needed to deliver these.
- Support the development of the island’s Green Tourism aspirations, identifying ways in which the local industry can develop and implement environmentally sensitive and carbon neutral approaches.
- Take an overview of the wide range of plans and strategies (local, regional and national) which relate to the visitor infrastructure of the islands, including those in development. Seeking to ensure that points of commonality are identified and that pertinent areas are integrated to the vision of local communities, businesses and agencies.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. East Loch Lomond Action Area. £35,000.
A Strategic Development Plan for the area from Drymen to the south east of Loch Lomond, heading north on the popular B837 on the east side of the loch through Balmaha in parallel with the West Highland Way to Rowardennan. The place-based approach to the scoping and planning project will examine how the area can continue to attract visitors whilst reducing vehicular movement and parking capacity issues along the road corridor at problem hotspots (such as Balmaha and Rowardennan).
This became a more obvious and pressing need during summer 2020 following relaxations to the COVID-19 outbreak and the plan will consider how:
- Infrastructure can be developed across the wider area, dovetailing with other transport and facility planning park-wide, currently underway to ensure places can manage increasing numbers of visitors;
- Inadequate existing visitor infrastructure at specific points, such as Balmaha and Rowardennan, can be enhanced by planning and delivering improved services at popular mini destinations, which currently offer no or limited visitor facilities and through the provision of public transport options to reduce vehicular pressures;
- The strategy will embrace the NPA Climate Emergency drive towards net zero development planning.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. West Loch Lomond and Cobbler Action Area. £35,000.
The output will be a Strategic Development Plan for the area, created in partnership, from Duck Bay on south east Loch Lomond, heading north on the popular A82 touring route to Inveruglas via Tarbet, where the A83 branches west to Ardgartan. The place-based approach to the scoping and planning project will examine how:
- The wider area can attract and disperse visitors from recognised problem hotspots (such as Luss) on the very popular linear route to less visited sites (such as Arrochar and Inveruglas) as seen by the pressing need during summer 2020.
- Infrastructure can be developed across the wider area, dovetailing with other transport and facility planning park-wide, currently underway to ensure places can manage increasing numbers of visitors.
- Inadequate existing visitor infrastructure at specific points, such as The Cobbler and Duck Bay, can be enhanced by planning and delivering improved services at popular mini destinations, which currently offer no or limited visitor facilities.
- A large eyesore site - the former torpedo range, derelict for many years - can be integrated into the feasibility of future development plans to add to the attractiveness of the area. This site is currently on the market for sale with multiple interests, we will watch to see how the property might be integrated into the planning mix for the wider locations.
- The strategy will embrace the NPA Climate Emergency drive towards net zero development planning.
Highland Council. Highland Tourism Infrastructure Plan. £25,132.
The initial phase of activity (the audit of existing infrastructure) is largely complete and still useful, community feedback, the effects of COVID-19 on tourism and the expected implications of this for future tourism in Highland suggest a much more comprehensive second stage to this plan is required.
The aim is therefore to increase the level of detail in the plan and check some of the proposals and priorities within it with communities and other stakeholders. In order to do this effectively without the distraction and additional demands of the ongoing visitor management required during 2021, the Council proposes employing a dedicated full-time officer on a temporary basis. This first phase of the work would include:
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A brief review of the initial audit to bring it up to date
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Analysis of the consultation responses received from communities and public sector partners and further engagement with them where required
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Identification of other infrastructure development already proposed to avoid duplication
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Identification of future infrastructure required and initial prioritisation
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Engagement with Council services Councillors and Area Committees to ensure both local support but also the practicalities of proposed provision
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Ongoing engagement with communities, partners and other stakeholders throughout this phase (this would likely mirror the “workshop” style approach previously used by the Council when consulting with industry and other partners about a possible tourism levy but could also involve online / webinar type events)
Phased approach to recovery planning
A phased approach is being taken in order to meet specific timescales set by the Scottish Government.
Phase one: A set of priority recovery proposals which outline the immediate support required from Scottish Government in the coming six months to two years. This is over and above the urgent need for ongoing business support to ensure business survival.
On 24 March 2021, £25 million was secured to support the delivery of 10 priority recovery projects.
| Approved funding for year: 2021/22 | Resource | Capital | Total | |
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1 |
International Demand Building | £8 million | £8 million | |
| 2 | Destination & Sector Marketing and Product Development Fund | £3 million | £3 million | |
| 3 | ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme – Social Tourism | £1.4 million | £1.4 million | |
| 4 | Days Out Incentive Scheme | £4 million | £4 million | |
| 5 | Strategic infrastructure Plans | £0.5 million | £0.5 million | |
| 6 | Tourism and Hospitality Talent Development Programme 2021/2022 | £2.5 million | £2.5 million | |
| 7 | Leadership development to boost product innovation | £0.662 million | £0.1 million | £0.762 million |
| 8 | A Net Zero Pathway for Scotland’s Tourism Industry | £0.75 million | £3.2 milliion | £3.95 million |
| 9 | Scottish Tourism Observatory | £0.8 million | £0.8 million | |
| 10 | Investment models to support Scottish Tourism recovery | £0.05 million | £0.05 million | |
| Total costs for year: 2021/22 | £20.4 million | £4.6 million | £25 million |
Phase two: A package of recovery proposals identified through a comprehensive stakeholder consultation carried out in spring 2021. The proposals identifying activity up to 2024 were designed to provide a pathway to recovery for our industry and destinations and are designed to deliver outcomes aligned to Scotland Outlook 2030 at the same time. STERG is continuing to review the proposals, which were submitted to the Scottish Government in August 2021, and assess their value in the long-term recovery, taking into account the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic and its impact on businesses.
Scottish Tourism | Two-year recovery recommendations
Published November 2021
Phase three: Secure the necessary funding and support to implement the two year recovery recommendations.
Benefits
Delivering a tourism recovery and investment plan will deliver benefits which underpin the four key outcomes identified in Scotland Outlook 2030:
- A more resilient, agile sector capable of managing future shocks and change, building longer term sustainability and profitability.
- A greener low carbon exemplar sector which delivers tangible community and social benefit, creating and developing sustainable destinations.
- Skilled sustainable workforce with improved employee working conditions built on fair work principles creating a committed, diverse and valued workforce.
- A globally recognised sector – considered world class in key sectors and providing the very best, authentic and memorable experiences.