Question reference: S5W-31843
- Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 16 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Member's letter of 4 August and its reply of 3 September 2020, whether it will provide an answer to the request for it to commission independent research into the social and environmental impact of tourism.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains focused on understanding the impact that COVID-19 has had on the sector and what steps will be required to ensure its long term recovery.
Although at this point we will not be commissioning a specific piece of research, we are committed to ensuring that any growth is sustainable growth for the industry and our communities and sustainability is a key a consideration of Scotland Outlook 2030, Scotland’s national tourism strategy.
As we look towards recovery and towards stimulating tourism once again when the time is right, it is important that we consider the impact of our visitors and our potential to manager them better. I therefore organised a summit with key public sector stakeholders on 14 September to discuss a national and collaborated public sector approach to visitor management in rural communities. Stakeholders will report recommendations to Ministers in due course with an aim to realising material solutions and building on the success of Scottish Government’s £9m Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund.