SCOTLAND’S countryside and its national parks are enduring favourites for visitors who return year on year to savour their charms.
But when the Covid-19 crisis hit last year some parts of rural Scotland became congested with day-trippers and mini-break holidaymakers who flouted social distancing regulations and caused severe disruption and damage.
With domestic travel mooted as being the first area of the travel sector to return, VisitScotland is taking steps to ensure that there is no repeat of the worrying images of last summer.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “With restrictions still in place for both UK and international travel, it is unclear what the upcoming tourism season will look like.
“However, if restrictions ease, we anticipate the domestic market will be the first to emerge, albeit subject to travel constraints.
“We will continue to engage with our international partners on a ‘dream now, travel later’ basis so that, should the situation allow, we can move quickly to take advantage of any opportunities which may arise.
“We know Scotland is a popular destination for UK residents and, as we saw last year, there was a real desire from Scots to explore their own country. We were, however, aware of challenges at some popular locations, and anti-social behaviour coming from the emergence of a new homegrown audience discovering Scotland’s countryside and national parks.”
VisitScotland is quick to encourage new and renewed interest in these locations while also putting across a responsible tourism message.
Roughead added: “Together with local authorities, national parks and our industry partners, we worked on activity to educate and inform visitors in a bid to address these behaviours.
“This included working with influencers to deliver a responsible camping message; encouraging visitors to explore more areas across the region; and providing up-to-date information on our website of the availability of facilities at visitor destinations.”
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VisitScotland has built on that campaign this year, saying: “This work will continue into this year, focusing on encouraging responsible tourism once restrictions are lifted.
“With sustainable tourism a core part of our recovery plan, VisitScotland is leading a national group to help develop a Scotland-wide strategic and co-ordinated approach to visitor management aligned to Scotland Outlook 2030, the national tourism strategy.
“As part of this group, we are collaborating with our partners and stakeholders on an inspirational responsible outdoor access campaign for the season ahead, including topics such as traffic management and anti-social behaviour, to mitigate any possible challenges some regions may face.
“We will encourage visitors to explore our wonderful country but to do so in a responsible manner. This will not only help the local communities that invite them in but ensure that their own experience of Scotland, and fellow travellers is the best that it can be.”
While domestic tourism will welcome the shot in the arm which renewed travel from across the Border and within Scotland will bring, the sector is still pressing for an answer on when international tourism will return.
THE Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) believes that the recent introduction of hotel quarantine for all travellers arriving in Scotland is necessary but that it will affect only a small amount of inbound travellers and the Scottish Government should be addressing their urgent concerns.
Mike Tibbert, vice-president of the SPAA, the professional body for travel agents and the travel sector in Scotland, said: “What the SPAA has been asking for is a clear roadmap out of what is realistically a terminal situation for the Scottish travel sector.
“Scotland urgently needs a plan for how our country will return to travel, and targeted financial support for the whole sector.
“Travel is essential for Scotland. Outbound tourism is worth £1.7 billion to Scotland and sustains more than 26,000 jobs. Outbound travel is worth over £37bn in gross value added (GVA) to the UK which represents 1.8% of GDP. Tourism is often cited as the world’s biggest industry and for Scotland, it also helps sustain rural communities and regenerate urban areas.
“Incoming visitors to Scotland bring £11bn to the Scottish economy annually through the wider supply chain, and inward investment brings further billions along with high-value jobs.
“It’s not enough to assume that what we stop now can, or will, resume automatically when we want it to. Routes are a valuable and vital ‘commodity’.
“Many of the destinations accessible directly from Scotland have been hard-won routes. Our country needs its connectivity more than ever as this is how our economy will recover from this pandemic as our businesses trade internationally.
“We understand the public health rationale behind the planned enforced quarantine. However, what we also need is a clear plan which outlines the role that vaccinations and testing will play in restoring free movement for Scotland’s people and goods.’’
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