Scottish Government’s Programme for Government – key points for tourism sector
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has set out A Fairer, Greener Scotland: the Programme for Government for 2021 to 2022.
Addressing the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, she said that the programme ‘represents an important moment for Scotland to secure a brighter future’.
Key points which relate to Scotland’s tourism sector are below.
- Continue to deliver our Young Person’s Guarantee
- Provide £100 million over this Parliament in a range of programmes to increase the digital capacity and capability of business
- Launch of a £20 million Rural Entrepreneur Fund in the coming financial year,
- Support the recommendations of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce, including a £25 million portfolio of projects in 2021‑22, and consider the best approach to future years.
- Committed to providing support to ensure that everyone can access superfast broadband services by the end of 2021
- Maintain the Small Business Bonus Scheme
- Consider the best approach to Phase 2 recovery work (Tourism Taskforce Recommendations), covering the following 2 years.
- Maintain investment of over £6 million annually in the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund
- Set up a taskforce to develop an Agritourism Growth Strategy Group,
- Invest £30 million over the next five years through the Islands Programme, to support delivery of the National Islands Plan
- Develop a Remote, Rural & Islands Housing action plan, to meet the housing needs of, and retain and attract people to, those communities
- Develop our tourism infrastructure, in both urban and rural areas, investing £10 million in initiatives like the Inverness Castle Project and Lossiemouth East Beach footbridge, and improving rural hotel facilities
- Refresh and reinvigorate our successful Brand Scotland activity, building on existing campaign activity, to enhance Scotland’s international reputation and our position as an attractive place to live, work, study, visit and do business.
- Work with Scotland’s airports to help restore lost connectivity, and grow international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions.
- Separately, we will review Air Passenger Duty rates and bands ahead of the introduction of the devolved Air Departure Tax to ensure that our policy aligns with our climate change goals, including the possibility of a higher tax for more polluting aircraft, while maintaining
You can download the Programme for Government here.
