MSPs call for tourism push details

Nov 19 2012

Plans setting out how tourism across Scotland will benefit from high-profile events such as the Commonwealth Games must be delivered now, the convener of a Holyrood committee has said.

MSPs on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee raised concerns that rural areas may not receive any benefit from the Games, which are taking place in Glasgow in 2014.

They also said more information was needed about what would be done to attract visitors to Scotland after 2014.

Committee members examined the "winning years" strategy - which aims to help the Scottish tourist industry capitalise on high-profile events between 2012 and 2014 such as the Olympics, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup coming to Scotland in 2014.

In their report, MSPs highlighted fears that the "winning years" strategy is "focused more on urban areas and large high-profile events, and that rural areas might not benefit equally from the strategy".

The MSPs said this was an issue the Games organisers were aware of and would "develop a much more detailed plan ensuring the impact of the Games is felt beyond Glasgow" over the next six to nine months.

They also said the organising committee was working with Creative Scotland and Event Scotland to "capitalise on existing events and hopefully create new events across Scotland in the lead-up to and during the Games".

Committee convener Murdo Fraser said the tourism sector had welcomed the "concerted campaign to capitalise on these big-ticket events like the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup in 2014".

But he added: "The committee heard concerns that the impact may only be felt in our big cities. We were promised that a plan for a Scotland-wide marketing campaign is imminent. This must now be delivered." Mr Fraser continued: "There also appears to be a lack of detail on the plans for after the tourists have gone home in 2014."

In their report, MSPs had said that while initial discussions had taken place to put plans in place for after 2014, they were "concerned at the lack of detail available currently". They have now called on tourism body VisitScotland to provide them with regular updates about its proposals for beyond 2014 as part of its annual progress report.