STA welcomes Cabinet Secretary and Ministerial Appointments

Marc Crothall, Chief Executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA)  has welcomed the appointment of Kate Forbes MSP as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and the announcement that Ivan McKee MSP will take on the supporting role as Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise.

“The Scottish Government has acknowledged the vital role of the tourism economy by placing the sector within the economy portfolio and clearly, the importance tourism will have in the recovery of Scotland’s economy and our communities.

This marks a new opportunity for both the Scottish Government and the sector to build on the strong working relationship we have had to date which is very much in part thanks to the great work of the former tourism secretary, Fergus Ewing MSP who has represented the interests of tourism with such dedication, vigour and keenness to uncover the detail that makes the difference in relation to government policy.

The STA is the acknowledged Industry Leadership Group (ILG) by government and the overarching representative body for Scotland’s tourism industry and our board and sector council look forward to continuing our regular dialogue with Ms Forbes and also engaging with Ivan McKee at the earliest opportunity.

We naturally are keen to appraise both ministers directly of the industry’s most pressing issues and immediate challenges. Equally, we are also keen to discuss and share the opportunities that the industry believes can drive the sector’s recovery if supported by government; a plan that will not only help the industry bounce back quickly but also one that will contribute significantly to Scotland’s wider economic recovery in addition to achieving our collective ambition as set out in our national strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030.”