STA responds to First Minister announcement on further easing of restrictions
Marc Crothall, CEO Scottish Tourism Alliance said:
“The First Minister’s announcement today that mainland Scotland, with the possible exception of Moray, will move to level 2 on Monday will be a welcome boost for our tourism sector, particularly businesses in our island communities which I know will be delighted at the news that they will move to Level 1, albeit with the capacity restrictions on ferries limiting the number of people who can travel there.
The return of indoor hospitality with alcohol will allow our hospitality businesses to hopefully start to recoup some of the significant losses incurred by being able to offer the very essence of the experience that has been missing for so long and to trade more viably despite the physical distancing restrictions which remain in place, however, I am sure that many will be heartened to learn today that this is currently under review and that the conclusions will be shared at the next review point.
Good news also for events, particularly for event organisers who will be able to apply to host more than a hundred people. Our events sector has been decimated over the last year with limited information or support in relation to opening up and guidance for doing so; it’s extremely encouraging to know that the ball is finally rolling for such an important sector within our industry. I know both customers and operators will be awaiting to see what can be delivered; hosting the types of events many will want to enjoy in a viable way will however be dependent on social distancing measures being relaxed.
The news that Scotland has adopted a four nations approach to travel is an important step in the right direction; the loss of inbound travel has had a critical impact on so many businesses across different sectors within Scotland’s tourism industry and I know that there will be some relief for many today, however, we must now move forward with a plan for more affordable testing for those coming into the country and a timescale for the introduction of digital vaccine passports for other countries and indeed, a robust plan for encouraging inbound travel.
43% of overnight tourism spend in Scotland comes from our international market; it would require around 7 million domestic overnight stays to replace that lost income. From the research the STA has undertaken which we will be releasing this week, we can see that we are quite some way from the staycation tourism boom that has been referenced in various media reports and by other commentators recently.
The STA looks forward to our continued discussion with the Scottish Government and officials and in shaping the guidance to support these welcome changes as announced by the First Minister today.”
