Scottish Conservative Party Debate: Prioritising Scottish Tourism - 7 June 2023

foreign thank you the next item of business is a debate on motion 9340 in the name of Liz Smith on prioritizing Scottish tourism I would ask those members who would wish to speak in the debate to please press the request to speak buttons and I call on Liz Smith to move the motion up to seven minutes please Mr Smith uh thank you Deputy residing officer we are remarkably privileged to live amongst the Landscapes of Scotland the beauty of our dramatic scenery the rich diversity of our cultures our history and our ancient monuments and our sporting attractions are just some of the reasons why visitors want to come here yes it's true that visitors can also encounter some difficulties with the weather usually and The Perennial challenges of our midges but tourism is in our DNA the sector is not only essential to our Global appeal but it is the prerequisite for rebuilding our economy and stimulating economic growth and how much we desperately need that growth given the Scottish government's current balance sheet that the finance committee was scrutinizing yesterday and we should never forget that the overwhelming number of Tourism Enterprises are small businesses just like the Real Food Cafe in tyndham whose owner was in touch with me this morning about the hospitality and limited project small businesses which are always the backbone of any economy 96 of the sector according to the most recent statistics but make no mistake this sector feels so badly let down because of the Scottish government's failure to prioritize its needs most especially in the rural and Island areas Mark crothall said a couple of months ago that the industry is experiencing the double whammy from inflation and policy pain that is adding costs which we put many out of businesses altogether and he went on and I quote this is entirely the wrong time for the Scottish government to be piloting policies that will do limited good and risk maximum harm and just at the weekend in the herald the owner of a self-catering cottage in The Western Isles previously an SNP member apparently denounced what he described as The Perfect Storm of SMP policies that could potentially mirror the demographic consequences of the clearances yes I will Keith Pride was can I thankless Smith for taking intervention she's listed a number of things in a motion which she says or down to the SMP in that list to see any space for the energy costs the interest rate Rises the inflation or the effects of brexit or those not matter Liz Smith I think Mr Brown I'm on record in this chamber of having spoken several times about the effect of brexit and the difficulties of the labor spy but I am not going to take any lectures from a Scottish government which refuses to address the fact within the healthy increase in migration to the UK Scotland is hardly seeing any benefit which begs the question as why people won't come here in the first place so let's examine the elements of that perfect storm and I want to start with infrastructure the karlmac ferry disruptions and subsequent cancellations have caused between 30 and 50 reductions in accommodation bookings for most of our Islands whether it's communities in Mull and Iona Aaron Lewis Harris South Lewis the list goes on ferry disruption has played a major part in disrupting the tourist industry which I am sure is exactly why Aleister Allen was quite rightly questioning the first Minister just last week about the serious implications of these cancellations and there were demonstrations at local boys deal just this weekend Business Leaders Furious that there will be no compensation for the Scottish government for all the disruption and then there are the significant issues of the A9 and the a96 and the broken promises regarding the dueling of these critical Road networks already the subject of so many debates and questions in this chamber now I'm not sure where Richard lockhead is today but if he wants to hear it firsthand what the long-term effects are of this he doesn't just have to listen to my conservative colleagues who have been assiduous in highlighting the dangers of this issue for many months perhaps years but also to his own constituents Highland Council transport Scotland and of course his own colleagues Fergus Ewing and Emma Roddick who know exactly what the effects are not just on safety but on tourism across the whole of the Highland region other countries don't have to put up with this blight on our infrastructure and connectivity and it's high time that the SNP dream government recognized just how damaging the effects have been but it's not just the weak infrastructure and connectivity that are causing problems a third of Scottish tourism Alliance Representatives cited the short-term lit licensing policy as the biggest challenge they have criticized the SNP dreams for failing to recognize the knock-on effects of self-caterers giving up their properties and leaving them lying empty on local employment on the sustainability of small rural communities and in Edinburgh where there are eye-watering fees being charged ahead of the festival and Fringe undermining the availability of accommodation and all this when businesses are having to cope with inflation high energy costs and the Fallout from the Scottish government's chaotic deposit return scheme the short-term accommodation Association said that the introduction of the scheme could have lasting and damaging effects on Scotland's tourism economy and then on top of that local authorities will have the power to introduce a visitor Levy UK Hospitality Scotland said that the introduction of the visitor Levy will leave so many Hospitality businesses frustrated yet again by other costs that will come on a sector that is so in difficulty I wonder if you don't mind just now making Scotland uncompetitive in relation to the rest of the UK something we already know that is happening with General taxation Fiona Campbell the association of Scotland self-caterers condemned the visitor Levy at the time when the sector was already being hit by what she described as a juggernaut of Regulation and it is that combination of Regulation and red tape of increased costs and the failure of the Scottish government to match the 75 business rates relief that was awarded in the rest of the UK despite having the Barnet consequentials to do so that is why it's causing so much concern and we know too that along with several other sectors tourism has made its views very well known about the general anti-business agenda of the SMP and greens although I do think the current minister is trying to address something the Chambers of Commerce warning that the combined effects was that Scotland would become a less attractive place in which to live and work and I think the minister would be well advised to listen to the concerns of the economy committee which wrote to the Scottish government during the pre-budget process saying that tourism has obviously suffered a cut in cash terms of 51.2 million down to 49.4 at the very time when many new tourism Enterprises in Scotland have the lowest survival rate presiding officer I returned to my original Point namely that a strong tourism sector should be at the heart of Scotland's DNA but with this Scottish government that is very far from the case now I know Richard lockhead likes to tell us that he is a minister for tourism but the factor the sector feels otherwise perplexed that this role has been subsumed into the more General portfolio of small business and Innovation so can I finish by calling on the Scottish government to look at this whole issue again it needs a blueprint to address deep City concerns and I move the motion in my name thank you Elizabeth I now call on new gay cabinet secretary to speak to a movement at 9340.2 up to six minutes please thank

you for saying officer removed the amendment in my name presiding officer as cabinet secretary for a well-being economy and a proud Arcadian I simply do not recognize the picture that the conservatives through lud Smith have attempted to paint of Scottish tourism just now the government's track record on tourism is one of unwavering support and rightly so as tourism is a jewel in the crown of Scotland's economy driving growth creating employment and showcasing the beauty of our nation as Liz Smith rightly outlined at the start of her speech our history our culture to the rest of the world I assure you our government recognizes its significance and remains committed to supporting and fostering its success and first let me address that claim at the end of lismith speech that the S P Green government lacks a dedicated tourism Minister well ministerial titles change our response responsibilities are absolutely set and placing tourism at the heart of the responsibility of the minister for small business Liz Smith herself recognized that the majority of Tourism businesses are themselves small business small businesses demonstrates and strengthens its position rather than diminishes it I'll give away briefly Elizabeth the tourist sector itself is complaining and feeling perplexed that there isn't a dedicated minister I've spoken regularly to Mark rothell and others within the sector about and reassured them and I think the engagements that Richard lockhead has engaged upon since he's been appointed would see would confirm that reassurance but it's not just Richard lockhead that is leading so energetically as he is on this front other ministers across government are engaged in tourism matters myself included within cabinet pooling our expertise and resource to drive the industry forward all signs suggest this approach is working the most recent figures from the office of national statistics released just last week show that there were 3.2 million visits to Scotland from overseas visitors last year compared to 3.46 million visits over the same period in 2019. this recovery of Demands outpaces the rest of the UK where the comparable figure remained 25 below 29 figures 2019 figures let me repeat that as I think it confirms the strength of our approach here in Scotland and Recovery elsewhere in the UK in 2022 25 below 2019 against us at seven percent below here furthermore these figures show that spending from overseas visitors in Scotland has recovered to pre-pandemic levels already with the sector seeing spend of 3.2 billion pounds in 2022 up 24 in nominal terms and pre-pandemic levels this is important as our tourism strategy Outlook 2030 is focused on tourism as a Force for good with visitors who Linger Longer contribute more and our strategy has social economic and environmental sustainability at its core there are also promising I'm really sorry but time is tight this afternoon at Mr Fraser there are also promising signs that 2023 will be another great year for Scottish tourism with numerous businesses already witnessing strong bookings increased investment flowing to the sector the introduction of our new direct air routes and a lineup of unmissable events such as the highly anticipated World cycling championships all indications point to another successful year ahead for Scotland's vibrant tourism industry but we're not complacent and keeping peddling hard for success with the tourism industry for the people and businesses involved and its contribution to the economic growth here in Scotland championing a vibrant tourism sector is at the heart of our national tourism strategy which remains highly relevant and influential even after the experiences of the last three years this strategy was developed through close collaboration with the sector ensuring it reflects our shared ambition to position Scotland as a global leader in 21st century tourism to drive this Vision forward we've established the tourism and hospitality industry leadership group and the purpose of this group is to provide strategic Direction ensure the successful implementation of Scotland Outlook 2030 and under the co-chairmanship of the minister Richard lockhead the tourism Scottish tourism Alliance chief executive Mark crothall the ilg acts as a unifying force guiding the industry forward towards recovery sustainable growth and Excellence ensuring that the tourism industry is at the Forefront of our well-being economy but of course that said many of the most pressing challenges facing the sector lie out with the powers available to us Keith Brown made a very Salient intervention an inter an industry survey published in 2019 on the 29th of May shows that high energy costs that need to cut that the impact of high inflation and the impact of brexit on labor shortages are all key issues facing the sector that's the industry seeing it for themselves so we continue to call on the UK government to use its reserve powers in a manner that supports rather than hampers Scottish tourism I'm really sorry I'm in my final minute to conclude and in conclusion I strongly reject the opposition's claim that this government is doing anything other than supporting our Scottish tourism industry of course there are challenges and not least the ferry maintenance which I absolutely recognize but our government has consistently prioritized the tourism sector recognizing the importance of Tourism to our economy and the well-being of our communities making strategic investments in marketing infrastructure and Workforce we have listened to the concerns of residents businesses and Industry experts and we have taken decisive steps to address them we have seen positive results with increased visitor numbers economic growth benefits for communities and enhanced International reputation we're actively engaged in fostering the growth and success of the sector and will continue to work with them to partner and our partners to develop a comprehensive blueprint for the future ensuring that Scotland remains an attractive welcoming prosperous destination from visitors around the world and realizing our shared ambition to confirm Scotland as a world leader in 21st century tourism thank you cabinet secretary and I now call in Daniel Johnson to speak to and to move Amendment 9340.1 up to five minutes please Mr Johnson thank you very much Deputy presiding officer and I move the amendment in my name and can I begin by thanking Liz Smith in the conservatives for bringing this motion because I think it is critically important tourism is a hugely important uh industry for this whole of this country and I think it's impacts go far beyond the simple revenues and kind of narrow economic analysis that one might uh initially uh look to but I would just say uh to the minister I don't think this needs to be a contentious debate because I do think that Liz Smith brings up a number of points which are important to the industry do need to be resolved and even if you don't necessarily accept the entire characterization I think there are substantive points some of which I knew some of which I don't but I do think they need to be addressed and that's very much the tenor I'm going to speak to in this debate um and I think actually ultimate and I wasn't going to comment on this in terms of a dedicated Minister I think names do matter I think having tourism including in the name I think does get and I it may seem superficial but I think actually it does at least send a signal to the industries so I would just say that very gently but overall the reason I think this is so important is because I believe that we have a a a a really distinctive and unique advantage in Scotland in terms of our brand brand Scotland we have an asset in this country in terms of its geography its people our culture and that in terms of Tourism is what draws here but it's actually much part of something much larger we have a reputation and Renown around the world that doesn't just draw tourists but I think means that we we don't need to introduce ourselves people know Scotland they understand the things that have come here people are always interested when you say you're from Scotland we have produce and provenance that is the Envy of other countries but I think what we lack is the sort of the curings of bringing that together which I think other countries have done more successfully and I think we all collectively need to focus on you know where there's Ireland to California that that combination of place produce reputation people and culture from France to Tuscany think places like that are what we need to emulate and seek to copy you because I think we can we have the elements and not only will that benefit tourism but I think the tourism itself will act as a calling card for all our other economic interests but make no debt in itself tourism is a vital element of our economy you only have to look around the streets of Edinburgh now just to see the vibrancy and indeed the revenue that tourism brings is vitally important 209 000 employees eight percent of employment in Scotland at 479 000 visits and let's not also forget that that's not just about International tourism it's domestic United Kingdom tourism 13.6 million uh overnight stays

from within the United 60 million day visits this is all vital elements of our tourist economy but we do need to concentrate on supporting the industry this is an industry hugely impacted by covet I think many business owners were worried genuinely about whether they could survive to only be hit by a cost of living crisis and the way I've been putting this is that frankly anyone running a kitchen is facing a huge huge barrier to the continued viability of their business bills increasing uh you know five six Sevenfold and even despite the more recent declines that the the fact that that as a fixed cost to those businesses utilities have gone from Mere percentage point or a few sort of ten twenty percent that is unsustainable for many businesses but we also do need to look at specific policy measures I think we need to revisit non-domestic rates the reality is for Hospitality businesses that that non-domestic rates acts as a disincentive for invest investment we need to address that I understand uh Liz Smith's concerns about the visitor Levy I disagree I never noticed paying it but what we do need to make sure is those monies are reinvested in the quality and fabric of our uh tourist centers um and likewise I think we do need to urgently revisit the short-term let issue now I supported tackling the numbers in my constituency alone Airbnb registrations numbered some uh three percent of all addresses but what we was brought in was a burdensome I think unnecessary regulation of something that wasn't a problem licensing wasn't tackling the number it was tackling standards and short-term lets no one was talking about that before it was unnecessary legislation where the tail ended up wagging the dog and I believe my called The Jackie Bailey will address that further but ultimately I think the points that Elizabeth raised around transport are vital because people can come here but if they can't get to the other parts of the countries if they can't get to the islands because the ferries aren't running if they can't get up the road because the roads aren't adequate if the trains aren't frequent enough to take them if the air routes aren't there to take them here unless while there's been some improvement Glasgow is still significantly done in InterContinental routes then frankly our tourism will struggle so I very much support this motion i i i i i i and this debate today but we need to help the tourist industry and help it embrace the future and and that's what my Amendment seeks to talk about thank you very much Deputy presiding officer thank you Mr Johnson and I now call on Willie Rennie up to four minutes please Mr ready that was quite an impressive um all around tour of the various issues of the tourism industry if I must say Daniel Johnson's contribution I think was the tenor in which we should try and approach this to be because there are some successes there's no doubt but there are some really big challenges and there's lessons for the Scottish government as well as lessons for the UK government so I'm going to cover some of those but first of all I just want to pay tribute to those who are in the tourism sector it has evolved dramatically over recent decades you know from the castles the gulf distilleries the festivals now to like food towns and book towns the long distance travel routes that conference tourism that has really taken off the film locations in places like Falkland and my constituency with the Outlander Tour mountain biking which I visited the Mountain Bike World Cup I visited in Fort William last week thank goodness I'm not doing that kind of sport but it was really impressive and I'm looking forward to the World Championships that are coming I think will show off all the different parts of Scotland the cruise ships dramatically changed the nature of the tourism offer that we've got businesses cropping up in order to meet that demand and the new venues like the v a but also the national tapestry that I visited down in galashiels just last week all of these things I'm sorry I've only got a short time and all of these things are fantastic and it's a great tribute to those the entrepreneurs in the sector they're great assets but sometimes the government isn't really helping I'm afraid on the ferries it's been utterly devastating and I want to give credit to the government with the road equivalent because when I visited the Western Hills I could see for myself the real benefit that it brought to the islands all of that they've been walloped I mean their business has been decimated you saw the anger at work boy who's there at the weekend where effectively their business for June has just evaporated and it's a terrible treatment for a quite a fragile Community I've only got I'm sorry I've only got a short amount of time it's a very fragile um community and the government have really got to understand and we'll cover this a bit tomorrow they need to come up with a compensation or we're just going to wipe away all the games that the islands have had with the ret historic Scotland why it's taking so long to do the surveys of the buildings to get these great assets opened up again is beyond me I cannot understand I know the arguments I know I need safety first but this has taken so long to get sorted the A9 the a96 is an insult to the highlands they've been promised this repeatedly for decades and we've still not got there so we need to sort that toilets toilets are really important they're really undervalued our big survey at New Year in 2007 there were 521 public toilets I was devastated to hear that's dropped to 355 last year you can just imagine what these elderly tourists are feeling like they're busting to get in the toilet and it's closed because the government have not funded local government sufficiently to keep these buildings open but things like the North Coast 500 route great development fantastic development but the state of the roads the lack of public toilets but also the lack of camping sites the locals feel really irritated by it of course they welcome the economic boost but the fact that the government haven't really matched that with the resources so all of this tremendous potential but the government haven't really matched it with the appropriate support I've got um concerns about short-term weights like Daniel Johnson's had I have a nuanced position on the visitor Levy but there is a lesson from the conservative government they can't really complain about difficult economic conditions then allowed Liz truss to be in charge of the budget and also to have a really damaging brexit thank you thank you Mr ready and I'm reminding all members they need to price the request to speak button in order to be called to speak and on that note I call Rachel Hamilton to be followed by Keith Brown Miss Hamilton thank you president officer and I draw members to my register of Interest as a director of a small Hospitality business in the borders every year we hear the SMP promise improved relationships with Scotland's business Community a great reset of government Economic Policy but it goes nowhere sturgeon Yusuf the SMP pursue the same anti-business agenda if the SMP value Scottish tourism and all the jobs that the business it supports have a very funny way of showing it they're making Scottish tourism businesses pay more tax than those South of the Border they're introducing more red tape more regulation they're even making it harder for tourists to visit parts of Scotland by leaving major roads uninvested the borders the Northeast we've heard about it no investment Island communities without ferries and Beyond the purchase of a campervan the s p have done very little for Scottish tourism they didn't even use the camper van perhaps a greens fancier trip a one-way trip in the camper van as The Economist said the country's political class has been on a long holiday but not in a camper van clearly on the campervan [Laughter] not just no thank you in the past we could address some of those concerns to the Scottish government Minister for tourism now there is no such post it's been demoted to a small footnote at the end of somebody else's responsibilities therefore it's somebody else's problem no thanks it is disappointing approach because tourism is an integral part of Scotland's economy and before covert hit the the tourism sector accounted for one in every 11 jobs and it's jobs like these that are really important to rural communities such as my constituency in the border and it was a pleasure to visit an agritourism business Ben can Farm on Monday where they are diversifying they're developing their Farm Cottages they are employing people they are giving walking trails to local people to people who are visiting the area and also I visited the river Tweed commission where of course we know how important salmon fishing is to the river Tweed and and one of the employees said that Kelsey was to Sam and angling what Saint Andrews is to golf and whether it's the river a farm a natural asset these fantastic events attractions and natural assets are so important to rural areas but the tourism sector is succeeding on its own they're succeeding in spite of this s p government well Enterprises elsewhere in the UK benefit from 75 percent rate relief the SMP choose not to match those for Scottish businesses whilst other governments try to attract visitors the s p want to bring in a tourism tax to hike the price of accommodation during a cost of living crisis while Scotland's tourism industry gets back on its feet after covid the s p bought in harmful short-term legislation yes well the member's got 50 seconds left so we have to be very brief and a very brief response Mrs Hamilton please thank I thank you so it is another SMP policy that according to the Scottish tourism Alliance will do limited good and risk maximum harm the s p will drive tourists and jobs they support away from Scotland with their hard-line anti-business agenda presiding officer the government needs to stop talking about a reset with Scottish businesses and get on with it they can begin by abandoning short-term legislation scrapping the tourism tax providing Scottish businesses with the same support as elsewhere in the rest of the UK ditching the independence Minister bringing in a tourism Minister and bringing forward an urgent blueprint to support Scotland's tourism sector thank you thank you Miss Hamilton I now call Keith Brown to be followed by Carol Morgan Mr Brown I was delighted to see that tourism was to be discussed in the chamber and then I saw the motion a misleading attempt to score political points to the expense of one of Scotland's most important industry sectors starts off with a false assertion continues to cherry pick problems and pretend that there can be simplistic solutions to complex issues we're still of course what we've heard trying to ignore energy bills trying to ignore interest rates trying to know the impact of inflation trying to ignore when you go Jimmy hooker Johnson I thank the member for taking the intervention how important does he think that the ferries are for our Island communities and other rural communities and does he take responsibility for his government utter failure to deliver those at the impact they're having on our sectors Keith Bryan well I would say I'm not in the government but two words Chris Grayling 14 million pounds the ferry company that had no ferries or the fact that in the eyes are silly by the fact that the nails are silly the Tory party no no volunteer it's only got four minutes and hours are selling two years ago the Tories promised to include the ferry service if not attended so far but trying to ignore the real impact of energy costs interest rates inflation brexit on their tourism industry that's your real anti-business Hardline agenda that we've been spoken about before in my constituency the Australian Club Manchester City do you will see the Scottish government invest 15 million pounds to enhance the cultural heritage and tourism offering aiming to attract even more people from across Scotland as well as the UK and the world to a spectacular region now of course the tourism strategy from the Scottish government was laid out in March 2020 March 2020 the month that the pandemic hit really hard now I heard Steve Barkley the English NHS Minister on this morning saying that the huge waiting queues in the NHS in England were due to the pandemic which affected every Administration around the world we hear no mention of that from the concept this is not a serious motion about the tourism industry in Scotland the figures show though that they said there is recovering and recovering well returning to the Positive Growth figures that we were seeing pre-pandemic the Scottish quarterly GDP index for sustainable tourism which plummeted during the pandemic is now back to pre-pandemic at levels and is now moving on an upward trajectory and indeed employment in the sector increased by 10.6 over later share and it's worth mentioning employment because we used to get a monthly bulletin from Myrtle Fraser celebrating every time the UK outperforms Scotland in terms of employment he's not said a word for the last few years it'll last a few months when Scotland's outperformed in the UK in terms of employment economic activity and unemployment so there is no room for complacency in relation to this but there's no place as well for a doom Laden pronouncement it's a usual conservatives talking Scotland down and in relation to the A9 a name was mentioned of course the first priority of the Tory party as with the labor party certainly when I joined this Parliament was to vote was to vote for 500 million pounds to be spent on the trams in Edinburgh that was their priority not the A9 or the a96 which this government has taken forward which previous labor and Tony governments left in their business state that we inherited I said I'm not taking any more interventions the fact is that some parts of that route prevent represent some severe engineering challenges everyone knows that especially those that use that what's not been mentioned of course is the investment in the Aberdeen Western periphery the borders rail the longest rail extension in the UK for a hundred years or also the queensferry crossing or as was mentioned by Willie Renee RIT which had a massive impact in parts of the country so what the Tories should be facing up to is the fact that the two biggest ongoing barriers to growth for the tourism economy in Scotland are entirely of their making the Fallout from the feelings of the disastrous economic policies we heard of it was trusts and also of course the effect of Scotland being dragged out of the EU against their wishes ending freedom of movement making it harder for visitors to come here and cause a major employment headaches from many sectors particularly it has to be stressed in the hospitality sector so the Tories are the ones that are undermining the tourism industry in Scotland and at least they're emotionally proposed should have acknowledged that thank you Mr Brown I know Paul Carroll more thing to be followed by Edward Mountain that type four minutes Miss Morgan thank you senior officer I wish to begin by recognizing the serious shocks and challenges our tourism industry has and is having to overcome from the pandemic to the subsequent Financial pressures it has been an extremely tough time and we need to give the tourism sector the reassurance that it requires the lady officer I wish to look at the reality for many working in the tourism sector it's one of low pay inconvenient hours and poor conditions despite the efforts of some such as loving wage Scotland and many within the industry the uncertainty that the pandemic brought will live long in the memory of those impacted they are brought into employment they're living in fear about where the next pay packet may arrive and the concerns about whether food could be put on the table was too much for some and understandably we know that many did not return because often that sector feels a bit like that all of the time if we want a thriving tourism sector we need to support a well-paid Workforce and we need to Value the skill and effort that so many put in to ensuring the sector continues to to survive I know in the cabinet section itself congratulations to Amendment today that he takes no responsibility for this this government's inaction in this area he is right to attack the Tories for The Reckless decision-making the Dismal management of the economy and their failure to address problems linked to labor shortages however the reality is that it is this government that has failed to connect a rural areas to her International Regional transport hubs and his government that has cut the budgets of local authorities meaning it is increasingly challenging to invest in local sites that of interest to Scots and tourists alike Scotland's tourism sector has two governments letting it down a reckless story a one at Westminster and I think often an incompetent SNP one here at Hollywood Scotland needs change I worked to the historic area of airshare in my South Scotland region and a look at the beaches the castles and the museums and I love that while the Rainy brought in some of the other aspects of Tourism around food culture cycling these places are loved and are visited by many but they are inaccessible to so many others because of the poor connectivity transport links and the investment that's needed at local community levels we are incredibly lucky to have so many historic sites Villages towns and cities a country with sights of interest in every corner which we do have a brand we don't need to Market that brand it's it's there but we are falling short of the mark when it comes to supporting communities that support tourism tourism offering strong career prospects in the sector and boosting that essential connectivity indeed presiding officer it would be remiss of me not to mention the importance of properly supporting our rural College sector to show that we do truly prioritize our rural tourism sector where much of the training for that sector takes place last month I had the owner of visiting the borders College Newton Saint Boswell campus where I heard from the staff and the students that like expressing this severe and desperate challenges facing the qualities particularly in those rural areas who combined with the challenges linked to labor shortage the government's in action when our tourism sector in the rural areas is crying out for skills really is apparent these college sectors can help a rural Alias boost our tourism sector and concluding presiding officer it is right that we debate this topic this evening and as I mentioned I understand the cabinet secretary it's well to focus on the shocking policies and decisions of the Tour de government at Westminster there is no doubt that the reaction their actions are having a direct impact on our tourism sector however what this government consistently feels to recognize is its own role in challenges facing many sectors in Scotland authorities Scotland needs change it needs change now thank you presiding officer thank you very much indeed I now call Edward Mountain to be followed by Ivan McKee again a tight four minutes Mr thank you very much uh presiding officer and I'd like to declare at the beginning that my register of Interest where I own a fishery or joint earn a fishery on the river spay which relies on tourism and contributes to the 20 million pounds that's generated from fishing on Space side alone now Scotland's got a great story to tell when it comes to tourism you know we've got a sector that contributes 4.5 billion to our economy accounts for one in 11 jobs and sees visitors spend over a billion pounds on eating and drink here as well that's the good news and let me just point out that it would only be a fool that would kill the goose that lays the golden egg and that's what we seem to be seeing this afternoon and that is extremely dangerous because what we're hearing from industry is things aren't going badly wrong we've heard from the chief executive for the Scottish tourism Alliance who says that government policies will do limited good and risk maximum harm now why would you do that why would anyone do that now some of the failings that we've heard about this afternoon are quite interesting we've talked about transport and we've got some great destinations up in the highlands and islands and we've got more luck people to come and visit them but they can't why can't they because there aren't any ferries or the ferries are delayed or they're broken down or there's a booking chaos and I'm really interested that Keith Brown sat at the back and made wouldn't comment on the ferries he was one of the people that contributed to the fact that 801 and 802 weren't delivered on time and what Islanders would say well I will in a minute what islands would say to you Mr Brown is shame on you because they're losing out Mr Brown I'll give away to you Keith Brown does he accept there's been more investment in fairies by this government than any previous government and also the fact that the government the government which he supports gave 14 million pounds to a Ferry company that had no Ferries Edward main what I will accept citing officer is the last very new ferry that was delivered to the Scottish Ferry fleet was in 2015. for goodness sake we're eight years old we need some new ferries get on with it you promised them Us in 2016. now I know

about businesses across the highlands Islands who are already cutting their commitments in 2024. about 10 percent of them are wondering whether they should still be in business in fact a lot of people are getting cancellations from repeat customers because they cannot be guaranteed that people will be able to arrive on time what a sorry State of Affairs that is now we've also heard today briefly about the A9 and I'm not going to reiterate it but I travel it twice a week I come down here and I go back on it and those tourists that use it to get around the highlands or up to the highlands will be a shock to Zion when you drive down it not only are the potholes in it but the driving and the standard of the road is extremely poor we were promised in 2007 we get tonight in ua9 it still hasn't been deliberate now the other issue I want to touch very briefly on if I may is short term with ads now we've had discussion about short-term lats and we've seen that this government is going to legislate on it well I think it's a really bad idea in the highlands Islands because we rely on those short-term labs to get tourists up there touristy will come up and spend money in the local economy and it is the local government who've been tasked with sorting out the licensing scheme and they've only sorted out about a fifth of the applications that they've seen and since March this year some of the ones within Highland Council have been put on hold because it's too difficult to deliver well if the minister wants to stand up and tell me I'm wrong tell me I'm wrong stand up and tell me about it I suggest that oh I'm in the last minute I'm sorry so not only is there a problem with short-term lats Minister I'm happy to discuss this afterwards with you is the fact that there is tourism tax being raised tourism tax will not work let me tell you the reason why it works in Europe is because there's a less rate of vat so presiding officer in summary what I'd like to say is to the government please don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg because that's exactly what you're doing at the moment thank you I know call Ivan McKee to be followed by Maggie Chapman again a tight four minutes thank you for saying office and I'm delighted to speak on this debate on it's hugely important tourism sector I think it's important to recognize that um the sector effectively is part of Scotland's export economy uh it really places uh Scotland's uh significance in the world and projects our culture values and what we have to offer the world and also the huge contributor to inward investment and to exports across all the sectors not least of course there are hugely vibrant food and drink sector so the potentiality of the sector to Scotland's economy is significant and it's great to see the rebound of the sector and post covered in a better shape than the sector across the rest of the UK and Willie Rainey is a world tour of it of Scotland was very uh great to hear a little traditional and new offerings in the sector as it continues to uh to modernize and I think at the heart of that success has been our government industry collaboration and partnership that stretches before my team is Minister back to to Ferguson and perhaps before that as well and I pay tribute to Fergus for working with the sector to bring forward the Scotland Outlook 2030 strategy which is something the whole sector has coalesced behind they talk about it relentlessly and everybody's focused on delivering all aspects of that for people places businesses and memorable experiences and the setup of the industrial leadership group and it's great to hear the government's carrying on with that work has allowed the sector to coalesce and take forward that strategy with some really serious thinking and work on how to how to deliver it into the future I'm delighted that fair work is a huge part of that and the unite Hospitality Union are part of the industry leadership group and also sustainability zero is an important part of the work of the ilg as well in fact you can see within that sector um the the work that's been taken forth to deliver or well-being economy Ambitions for the sector um but it's also really important it's just I think that pays it it can give us a lie to the comments in the Tory motion that the sector does doesn't work with government and that is a very strong collaboration there but of course it is hugely important to deliver on that strategy going forward some more immediate challenges do need of course to be addressed some of these have been spoken about already cost inflation and energy costs a consequence a director of UK government policy labor shortages largely a consequence of a brexit and the drying up of it that labor pool in skills of course a central issue in the the strategy for the sector regulation has been mentioned that it's usually important and part of the work with the sector um on the transient visit our lives I think is a real opportunity here to work closely with the sector at the out sector design something that works for the sector and I I know that the minister told Tom Arthur very much understands that and is involved in that it can really show how to do regulation well if we get that right um I and recognizing that the value raised from uh that that tax has to be used to support the tourism sector without with investment um and I know that they're still wrinkles in the short-term late proposals I know the government is working hard to iron out those anomalies and just that one question for the government I'm not frankly quite sure now where the New Deal business group subgroup on regulation interacts with the business regulation task force and interacts with Russell Greg's regulation review groups and some clarity on who all of that knits together would be welcome investment in the sector and infrastructure that supports it is hugely important as we all know and Keith Brown's given some examples of Investments That Happened already on our Rio and Road Network around the country it's too easy to forget things that have been done in the past but of course we can't get away from the fact that more does need to be done it does need to be done and Road connectivity has been mentioned that's usually important that that work only in 1996 is taking forward as soon as possible International route connectivity is as important and I pay tribute to the work of visit Scotland SDI and the sector I had a great meeting last night with it with Airlines in this regard more International routes are coming on team but more are of course required an investment in marketing spent to support the sector internationally but of course it has to mention that reliability of connectivity is hugely important particularly in another government will work hard to make sure that that is addressed going forward because the last thing we need is that unreliability leading to a tour operators and de-listing Islands which has been thank you chat lines I strict four minutes thank you presiding officer the story motion is a highly principled one Unfortunately they are Tory principles it represents an attempt to enforce redistribution that is redistribution from the poor to the rich to ensure sustainability that is the staining of that is the sustaining of wealth and privilege and to embed well-being that is the being and the doing well of Corporations and Elites as usual they have everything the wrong way around the purpose of an economy me as the rest of us have realized is to enable well-being health fair work Family Life a clean environment and the exchange of beneficial goods and services it's only a few die hards who still indulge impossible fantasies of infinite growth on a finite planet and for the Tories it seems tourism is nothing but another extractive industry a kind of machine through which Landscapes communities and ecosystems are chewed up to produce a dribble or better a torrent of profit for those who already own too much but the purpose of Tourism from a human perspective is to enable people to rest and relax to explore this amazing planet and the extraordinary histories of its inhabitants to learn about other cultures and their own to exchange friendships creative ideas and understandings to live better more gently Upon Our shared Earth of course that needs businesses to provide accommodation catering and activities to enable experiences and encounters for people living locally and those traveling from afar and those businesses deserve support where they themselves are a part of the local community acting to protect and enhance their natural and built environments encouraging the circulation of tourist income within the local economy committed to Fair work practices and offering affordable Leisure opportunities to those who live and work nearby I will uh the members make an appointment balance in relation and sustainability in relation to tourism would that involve making sure that all employers and tourism sector period the real living wage and treat their employees well and of course if there's laborers resume your seat Maggie Chan I absolutely I absolutely agree with the sentiment that Bob Doris has expressed for both Asylum Seekers and the living wage for all employers employees good tourism is an enhancement to a local area where the rural or Urban bringing and renewed appreciation of place history and tradition vibrant Hospitality retail and social initiatives secure jobs and livelihoods and much needed income that is why best practice in many of the world's most sought after destinations is to permit a visitor Levy Barcelona has had one since 2012 attracting quality tourism sustaining the city's budget and funding improvements to its infrastructure why do the Tories think that Scottish towns and cities and Scottish communities do not deserve the same do they have so little faith in our country that they don't think it's worth paying to visit those of us who are proud of Scotland whether we grew up here or chose to make it our home know why visitors come here yes it's for the beauties of our landscape where we have rescued it from the threats of fracking or theme parks it's for the richness of our biodiversity which would be all the Richer for Boulder rewilding it's for the purity of our rivers and streams which we would be cleaner and safer without the curse of broken glass and it's for the opportunities to roam our Countryside which would be wider were it not for the Grouse playgrounds or the rich but it is also for our Dynamic towns and cities fought a young kiwi visitor this week called the vibe of the place for the sense of a Scotland making its own way learning from the best of progressive Nations Around the World opening its doors and its hearts in welcome especially to those who are not welcomed elsewhere there is a road that is key to Scotland's future tourism but it is neither the A9 nor the a96 it is Kenya Street and the community Spirit solidarity and culture of welcome that that represents thank you thank you I know call Christine Graham who's the final speaker in the open debate again a strict four minutes thank you you don't have to be a board as MSP to realize the significance of Tourism and related benefits to local retail and the transport sector but it helps in my constituency you can trip over the many tourist destinations there are so many from the large Melrose Abbey Abbotsford and the great tapestry of Scotland and Gala Shields the mining Museum of Scotland in Newton Grange with this exhibition in Parliament today to the small the tremontia museum it's all about the Romans again in Melrose and the diminutive paper-making Museum in pennycook where you actually can meet people financial support in form of Scottish government grant stretches across the sectors the great tapestry had almost 7 million committed to the project from the Scottish government's regeneration Capital Grant fund borders Railway blueprint program and the borders Council most recently received 400 000 via south of Scotland Enterprise which is selfish funded by the Scottish government I visited it just on Monday to enjoy the newly funded high-spec extension already used for educational purposes you engage mining Museum also recently received further funding through the 1 million allocated museums as did Abbotsford so there is continuing support for landmark attractions you also have to factor in the support to public transport the borders Railway the extended concession Affairs scheme and support for scotrail and of course the funding pretend to support the transport and Hospitality sectors and other businesses during covert during coverage for example funding 129 million was provided to the sector in response to the immediate recommendations of the Scottish tourism recovery task force indeed I commend local businesses during that periods some of which did receive covered funding and some which did not in people's the taunting Hotel an iconic building at the end of people's High Street secure not in substantial funding through south of Scotland Enterprise again that's Government funding stormall Castle Health Spa near Peebles received covert support but the proprietor also took the opportunity with no guests to refurbish and redecorate as did the modest Central Barra Free Housing Peebles which didn't qualify for covert support but again the owner updated the decor with inside and out now it looks just brought one of the real difficulties for Hospitality now and indeed contributing at one time to a shortage of bus drivers in the borders and raised time and time again with me as lack of Staff since brexit adding inflation on all fronts food fuel any building works for example and it still remains tough no matter what support the Scottish government gives indeed the UK is set to one of the high streets of inflation in the G20 according to today's release from the oecd but part of the solution is in our hands if you can even in these or steer times try a holiday or a wee break at home or simply visit and explore your own town or country you'll surprise yourself and you'll certainly help the local economy and support the businesses locally which deserve it thank you thank you Mr we now move to closing species I call on Jackie Billy again a strict four minutes thank you presiding officer and I welcome the opportunity to close the debate for the Scottish labor party not least because the area that I represent is amongst the most beautiful in Scotland attracting tourists and visitors who come from near and far and tourism matters enormously to the local and National economy the cabinet secretary mentioned the more than 3 million visitors and spending of more than three billion pounds you only need to spend a few minutes in loss in my constituency to see the army of visitors from America China Europe the rest of the UK all spending money on accommodation on food and drink on entertainment and indeed on souvenirs to take home and that value is growing again after the difficult years of the pandemic with increased numbers of visitors returning to Loch Lomond and indeed that's happening again across Scotland it is such a joy to hear all the different accents and languages as you venture down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh but is government doing enough to capitalize on the opportunity that tourism presents for Scotland this afternoon has demonstrated areas of concern but also there is much that we can agree on there is however a real problem for the government with implementation and this is a problem that is not confined to this area of debate today we have a plethora of legislation and policy that is all very worthy but implementation is poor and the unintended consequences are legion let me illustrate that by talking about short-term lets remember this is the legislation that the Scottish government have already delayed by six months to allow for dialogue with the sector so that problems and concerns could be ironed out and we welcome that there's been lots of chat there's been industry working groups but presenting often not one single change has been made and there are 81 days to implementation in that time all self-catering accommodation bnbs and others need to apply to their local Authority for a license local authorities are struggling and there is no consistency but actually that's not their fault it appears that the government have failed to provide any guidance whatsoever promised for the 12th of May but not delivered let me tell you about the problem in Argyle and Butte there are some eight thousand to ten thousand self-catering units across the area including bnbs including Yurts including glamping pods home shares the Lot 2 354 are paying non-domestic rates so far 427 have applied but only 53 licenses have been granted out of more than eight thousand and we've got 81 days to go there is no chance of having these license in time across Scotland I understand 20 have applied and two percent have received licenses self-catering units and local authorities face an impossible task all because the SNP government don't think about implementation in a plethora of suggested changes such as local authorities being able to issue provisional licenses to enable new investment in new provision has any of that been taken forward any of it just one thing not one presiding officer this disappointing position confirmed to the association of Scotland's self-cagers in a letter from the Minister Paul McLennan yesterday so there you have it the SNP government are deaf to the needs of business incompetent at the Practical implementation and they charge on regardless unfortunately this is a Hallmark of the snp's approach to government but with profound consequences for the tourism sector in Scotland presiding Australia agree with much of what Daniel Johnson will Iranian Carol Morgan had to say we need to make much more of the opportunity and potential of Tourism we need to invest in brand Scotland but where are the new flights the ferries to get visitors to our beautiful islands and roads like the a82 a83 A9 and a96 and as Willie Rainey said where are the toilets presiding officers we have amazing natural assets but this SNP government need to do more to positively harness and support the opportunity for the sector to group thank you I now call and tell Martha to close for the government Minister for a tight five minutes please thank you very much presiding officer and can I thank members for their contribution indeed thank Liz Smith for bringing this imp

2023-06-12 22:56

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