Self-catering boosts jobs

Sir, - I write in response to Alex Bell’s column (August 10) which discusses holiday lets and the Small Business Bonus.

The article contains a number of inaccurate statements and infers short-term and holidaylet owners do not make a sufficient contribution to the communities in which their properties are based. This could not be further from the truth.

A report commissioned by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, Self-Catering in Scotland: The Economic Impact of Short-Term Letting on the Scottish Economy, found the selfcatering sector supports 15,271 full-time jobs.

It also shows the significant knock-on effects it has for the economy.

Self-catering holidaymakers spend £723 million in Scotland. The jobs provided and the visitor spend, benefit communities, especially in rural areas. Rather than avoiding tax, many of our members have been the subject of crippling rises in business rates, with an average sector increase of 65% following the recent rates revaluation.

As tourism is one of Scotland’s most important industries, we believe taxation ought to reflect the Scottish Government’s aim to grow tourism by 20% by 2020. Fiona Campbell. Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, 1 Invereoch Court, Arrochar.