25 YEARS AGO Friday July 22, 1994
Kintyre tourism poor says businesses
Tourist-dependent businesses in Kintyre are painting a mainly disappointing picture of the tourist season so far.
And some are saying the row over the proposed tourist board merger with Stirling is not helping matters.
In a last-ditch attempt to overturn the Scottish Office decision to merge Argyll’s two tourist boards with Stirling, the issue seen as central to the future of the industry, both the West Highlands and Islands of Argyll and Bute and Cowal Tourist Boards are balloting their members to see if they want the merger or an Argyll and Bute Board.
The Carradale Hotel’s owner, Mr Marcus Adams, has noted a drop in visitors to the area in general, although he reported numbers at the hotel being ‘slightly up’ on last year.
‘Room occupancy is up, but numbers using the bar and coming in for casual business in general are down. There certainly are not as many people visiting the village as in the past.
‘This picture is hard to miss throughout Kintyre.’
Mr Adams holds the view tourist board merger plans would do nothing to improve the situation.
‘It would be horrendous to merge with Stirling, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. I totally disagree with the plans. We should be trying to enhance the area’s position, but what we have here appears to be cost cutting.’
Head of Tarbert’s recently opened visitors’ centre, An Tairbeart, Mr Neil Duncan, said this week: ‘Considering it has not been a good year for tourism in Scotland, we are satisfied with the way things have been going. Numbers are improving weekly, and we must have had around 7,000 people through the gates since early May. Many of these are repeat visits. However, we have noticed they are being very prudent with their money.’
Unlike many of those involved locally with tourism, Mr Duncan feels a merger with Stirling, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Tourist Board would be a good thing.
‘I can’t wait to merge. Tourists pass through that area on their way here, their numbers are increasing, ours are decreasing. That must say something.’