A Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group has been set up to help drive Scotland’s ambition to be a world leader in 21st century tourism.
The group will champion the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030. It will also look at how tourism fits into the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET).
The group will build on the partnership approach of the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG). This group led the industry’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group brings industry representatives together with public agencies. It will help drive recovery and sustainable growth across both tourism and hospitality in the long term.
The group will support work to grow the value and enhance the benefits of tourism across Scotland. At the same time, it will deliver the very best for visitors, businesses, and communities.
This includes considering the four key priorities of Scotland Outlook 2030:
The group includes individuals from across the public, private and the third sector. All members have knowledge and experience of destinations, sectors and businesses.
Individuals were all appointed through an open application process. They were appointed as individuals and not as representatives of companies or organisations. Separately, eight organisations are also represented on the group.
Industry members are appointed as individuals. They're not in the Industry Leadership Group as representatives of companies or organisations.
We recognise the difficulties still facing businesses in the short-term. This includes the economic uncertainties and rising costs that are having a significant impact.
STERG will no longer meet in its current format beyond the end of the year. But all partners remain committed to continuing to provide advice and guidance for tourism businesses.
This includes using our skills and resources to focus on work which:
VisitScotland moved quickly to support the industry throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. And we'll continue to do all that we can to ensure tourism is contributing to communities and to the wider Scottish economy.
Check out an overview of the group on the Scottish Government website.
Read all about Scotland's responsible tourism strategy for a sustainable future.