Marc Crothall MBE Crothall MBE
CEO, STA
Marc Crothall started his working life in the tourism, leisure, and hospitality industry at the age of 17. He has held a variety of front-line senior management and executive positions across different sectors of the industry in various parts of the globe. This includes time spent in the US, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, The Channel Islands, England, the Highlands of Scotland and in his home city of Glasgow where he has been settled with his family for the past 20 years.
His wealth of first-hand experience and knowledge of the industry has been gained from working for leading corporate and independent organisations, both large and small, including Gilbeys Hotels (SA), The Metropole Hotel Group, The St. Pierre Park, Sheraton Hotels and The Freedom of the Glen Hotel Group. In addition to having his own advisory consultancy, he has spent time working for leading contract and event caterers, Compass Group and Amadeus, and has held senior posts at Alton Towers and with the David Lloyd Leisure Group.
In May 2012 Marc was appointed as the first CEO of The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), which is acknowledged as the overarching trade body for the tourism and hospitality sector. He chaired the national Strategy Steering Group charged with developing Scotland’s national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, which was launched on 5th March 2020 by Scotland’s First Minister at the time, Nicola Sturgeon.
During the Covid pandemic Marc was the lead industry representative on the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) and Scotland’s Tourism Task Force and now represents the sector on the Scottish Governments New Deal For Business Group. In November 2022 he was appointed to co-chair the reformed Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group, which acts as the strategic guardian of Scotland Outlook 2030. He continues to co-chair alongside Scotland’s Minister for Small Business Innovation Tourism and Trade, Richard Lochhead MSP. He is a very well-respected influencer, spending much of his time engaging directly with senior ministers in both Scottish & UK governments making representation on behalf of the industry.
He previously co-chaired the National Food Tourism Leadership Board and was Scotland’s representative on the UK Tourism Industry Council . He is currently a board member of Apprenticeship in Hospitality Scotland, Interface and an advisory board member of Springboard UK. He is also a member of Scotland’s Railway stakeholder panel.
In 2020 Marc was awarded the “Fellowship” by the Scottish Hotel industry for his outstanding contribution to the industry, and in June 2022 was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours for services to the Tourism Industry in Scotland. More recently, in October 2023, he received the Industry Contribution award at the 2023 Hotels of the Year Awards.
STA Holyrood Election Manifesto Launch Presentation October 2nd 25