Croft signs up for holiday voucher scheme
The Strath’s Comrie Croft is among some of the first businesses in Perth and Kinross to sign-up to help low income families, unpaid carers and disadvantaged young people enjoy a short break.
The ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme subsidises two-night stays and also intends to help encourage tourism and hospitality bookings this autumn and winter.
The £1.4 million project is administered on behalf of the Scottish Government by national tourism agency, VisitScotland.
It is part of a £25m tourism recovery programme announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in March.
In addition to Comrie Croft, YES Your Entire Self, Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, Five Senses and Pitlochry
Youth Hostel are among the Perthshire businesses to put their names forward for the initiative so far.
Participating bed and breakfasts, guest houses, hotels, hostels, camping parks and visitor attractions across Scotland will be paid for any booking made directly through the scheme by a method of their choosing, fully funded by the Scottish Government.
With more than 1.1 million identified unpaid carers in Scotland and one in four children in Scotland living in poverty, many people are unable to afford a visit to a local attraction or to take an overnight break away from home.
When enough businesses across Scotland sign up to the scheme, those behind it have said the it will then be launched to families, carers and young people through the Family Holiday Association and Shared Care Scotland.
Caroline Warburton is VisitScotland’s regional leadership director.
She said: “We’re pleased businesses in Perthshire are among the first coming forward to be part of the ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme.
“We need as many businesses as possible to come on board so we can start the process of offering breaks and getting people booked up in the autumn and winter months.
“This is a great example of our ‘tourism is a force for good’ approach – enhancing people’s wellbeing and supporting local businesses and jobs.”