Mckelvie welcomes county tourism boost
Figures up by 10%
The number of people working in tourism in South Lanarkshire has increased by 10 per cent in one year according to new figures – with Scotland as a whole seeing an increase of 11 per cent.
Statistics produced by Visit Scotland show that tourism supports 8600 jobs in South Lanarkshire, equating to seven per cent of the jobs in the area.
Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse MSP Christina Mckelvie, said: “Our tourism industry is going from strength to strength and this increase in jobs shows the vital role that tourism plays in Scotland’s economy and particularly throughout South Lanarkshire.
“Scotland is famed for its warm welcome, incredible scenery and top class attractions – and with 2017 the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology we are celebrating our exceptional historical attractions.
“There are several sites throughout my constituency that we are rightly proud of – including Chatelherault Country Park.
“With Scotland ranked second in the Rough Guides list of the best countries in the world to visit this year, tourism throughout South Lanarkshire and beyond has a very bright future.”
The Lanarkshire Area Tourism Strategy aims to grow visitor spending by 2.5 per cent per year up to 2020.
It was developed by the Lanarkshire Area Tourism Partnership and is based on indepth research with private, public and third sector organisations.
The trend of increasing visitor numbers is expected to continue with improvements to transport links. The £500 million roadworks on the M8, M73 and M74 including the Raith interchange, will improve access from Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as journeys around Lanarkshire.