Bid to get staycation support
The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has called on the local authority to be given more support in dealing with an increase in people choosing to stay in the region for their holidays.
Since lockdown, VisitScotland has been promoting so-called ‘staycations’, urging people to shun foreign trips to stay in Scotland.
But Conservative leader Murray Lyle said the lack of cooperation with councils is “challenging” and described the mess left behind by some visitors as “unacceptable.”
Over the past few months Perth and Kinross has had to cope with increased numbers of dirty campers, rubbish, human waste, increased traffic on the roads and parking issues.
Cllr Lyle is now in discussion with the Scottish Government, Visit Scotland and the National Parks to tackle this situation.
He told the PA: “We have not resolved it but now everyone is aware and can hopefully give some guidance and assistance to what is happening.”
The Conservative leader said he would be “delighted” if Scotland’s national tourist organisation could give councils some money to deal with the consequences.
He added: “The lack of co-operation with the council is challenging. As far as I am concerned they have a responsibility when doing the promoting to live with the consequences.”
Cllr Lyle believes things have just “snowballed” with COVID.
He said: “We still need them (tourists) for the economy but it’s all happened this year in a bit of a rush.
“Communities are demanding extra infrastructure.”
And Cllr Lyle sympathises with local residents describing the waste left behind as “unacceptable.”
He is hopeful that with the formation of this new partnership they can have the necessary infrastructure in place for visitors next summer.
A spokesman for VisitScotland said: “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, VisitScotland is focused on working with partners and communities and have undertaken a series of roundtables.
“This has helped identify where there are issues and how we can work together to address them.
“The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, created by the Scottish Government and administered by VisitScotland, has also been successful in providing additional funds to projects to address infrastructure issues in specific areas.”
The spokesperson said VisitScotland was “always mindful of highlighting responsible tourism messaging” in its marketing campaigns. The spokesperson told the PA it aims to “avoid over-promotion of areas which are experiencing challenges due to high visitor volume.”
And VisitScotland is aware of some “challenging and anti-social behaviours” being observed. It is working along with partner organisations to discourage this behaviour and inform people on how to be a responsible visitor.
The spokesperson added: “Responsible tourism is going to be even more important for Scotland in the future and this is a core part of our recovery plan. Tourism is a force for good and if managed responsibly, sustains communities in every corner of Scotland, creates jobs, tackles depopulation and improves the wellbeing of everyone who experiences it.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said the behaviour of some visitors was “completely unacceptable” and “disrespectful.”
They added: “We are aware of a number of incidents of littering, anti-social behaviour and damage to our natural environment since lockdown restrictions began to ease and are clear that this behaviour is completely unacceptable, and disrespectful to local communities.
“The tourism secretary recently met with local authorities, Police Scotland and other representatives to discuss possible solutions to anti-social camping and we are considering what further action can be taken on a national scale.”