Boom time for business as tourists flock to Argyll

THERE has been a summer boom for tourism in Argyll, with many reporting doubled growth as more visitors flock to the West Coast on the weak pound.

Argyll and Bute saw a whopping 12.8 per cent increase in footfall in July, and 8.9 per cent in August – twice the Scottish average of 6.6 per cent and 3.4 per cent respectively – according to a recent study by Glasgow’s Moffat Centre of 592 tourism attractions across Scotland.

‘It has been the best year we have had in eight years,’ said Calum Ross, owner of the Loch Melfort Hotel and a director of Argyll and the Islands Tourism Co- operative (AITC).

‘We have doubled our growth. Businesses say it has been a good year or a very good year. It is across the board in tourism, but tourism is everybody’s business. There are more people in the shops as well.’

Bid4Oban manager Derek Connery agreed: ‘Guest houses, shops, pubs, restaurants have all done very well this year. The general consensus is it has been a great season.’ He recently heard of one hotel in town that had not had an empty room for 50 nights on the trot.

Linda Battison, who runs Cologin Country Chalets at Lerags, also reported: ‘ We are going to be 10 per cent ahead this season. Vacancies are only just appearing now in late October. The season has been busier for longer. There are still a lot of overseas visitors in town.

‘Scotland has been seen as a safe destination. The weak pound is the biggest factor.’

Linda, a former chairwoman of the Oban and Lorn Tourism Alliance of accommodation and activity providers, added: ‘Everyone has had a very good season. Boat operators have had a hectic year.’

CalMac’s summer figures reveal a 42 per cent rise in cars travelling the Oban to Craignure route to Mull compared with last year – an increase of 86,890 to 123,999 until Friday October 21, just before timetables switched from summer to winter. Similarly, passenger numbers rose on the route, but only at 14.32 per cent, from 459,741 to 525,558. Coaches also increased by 11.33 per cent, from 18,738 to 20,862.

CalMac area manager Robert Morrison said: ‘It has been especially busy between Oban and Craignure, with a significant increase in traffic. We have been able to cope with this and the feedback we have received is that the community are pleased with the improved service, and the boost to the local economy, albeit that it has led to some congestion on single track roads on Mull.’

Inveraray Castle has also seen a large increase on last season, and Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds has reported an 11 per cent increase in visitor numbers, plus a 30 per cent increase in sales.

After slower growth at the beginning of 2016, Dunollie’s September sales jumped up by 51 per cent – double the figure from the same month last year. ‘ We have turned a corner,’ said Dunollie’s sustainability and development manager Jane Isaacson.

‘ We are getting more visitors and they are spending more. We projected 30 per cent, and we got 30 per cent, so we are happy, but we need to do that again next year – we need to grow in order to be sustainable.’

International tourists visiting Scotland broke through the £ 500 million spend barrier in the second quarter of this year for the first time, according to new figures released by the Scottish Government. Overseas visitors spent £ 540 million in the second quarter of 2016, compared to £493 million in same period in 2015. This is the highest quarter-two spend figures recorded. Visitors from Europe spent £276 million in the quarter up to June 2016, more than half of the overseas expenditure in this period.

Cabinet secretary for tourism Fiona Hyslop said: ‘External factors, such as trading conditions and economic uncertainty caused by the referendum continue to present challenges for our tourism sector.’

We need to grow in order to be sustainable” Jane Isaacson Dunollie Castle