Holyrood told of safari park future fears
Warnings over the future of Blair Drummond Safari Park are being raised in the Scottish Parliament.
The park’s owners warned this week that, like many other tourism businesses, jobs and future investment were at risk the longer lockdown continued.
Tory Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Dean Lockhart has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the issue, and has now lodged a motion at Holyrood asking MSPs to support the reopening of the safari park as soon as possible.
He says keeping it closed any longer than necessary is jeopardising the future viability of the park, which attracts more than 400,000 visitors every year and is marking its 50th anniversary this year.
He added: “I understand the park’s management has put in place appropriate social distancing measures, which will mean that the health and safety of staff and visitors can be protected at all times.
“I’m calling on the Scottish Government to work with the tourism sector to implement a flexible approach to reopening attractions such as the safari park.”
The attraction’s director Hector Muir said: “Time is of the essence to save jobs and businesses.
“Each week that we remain closed will have a direct effect on our ability to retain jobs and our future ability to invest in the site.
“As one of the largest local employers, the continuing closure will have a devastating impact on both staff and our suppliers.
“The proposed one size fits all approach to reopening discriminates against outdoor businesses such as ours that are well suited for reopening with social distancing measures in a controlled environment.”
Some tourism and hospitality businesses could open from July 15, however Mr Lockhart says there is no distinction between the huge range of businesses and circumstances of tourism businesses in the area.
He added: “Where tourism businesses can demonstrate they have the capacity to manage people safely they should be able to open as soon as circumstances allow rather than have to wait for a later date.
“Blair Drummond Safari Park and other attractions in the region I represent face mounting financial pressures with significant ongoing staff and maintenance costs.
“These pressures have resulted in many attractions having to borrow large sums of money which will have to be re-paid over the course of the next few years, placing investments and jobs on the line.”