The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Nicola Sturgeon warned tourism industry in Highlands could need support for a year
The tourism industry in the Highlands could require ongoing support for almost a year as a result of Covid-19, the first minister has been warned.
And two months delay in reopening could make the difference between survival and going bust for many businesses.
Leaders of the sector have sent an open letter to Nicola Sturgeon outlining their plight.
Tourism spend in the Highlands alone is worth more than £1 billion a year, with the sector employing more than 15,700 people in what can be “fragile” communities in remote parts of Scotland.
The letter has been signed by 75 tourism and hospitality business leaders from across the north Highlands, the area covered by the popular North Coast 500 route, Argyll and the Isle of Skye.
The response has been co-ordinated by David Whiteford, chair of the North Highland Initiative and Tanja Lister from the Kylesku Hotel in
Sutherland. The group told the first minister their businesses need to reopen “as soon as it is safe to do so” – adding this should ideally happen at the same time as tourism reopens in the rest of Scotland and the UK.
They warned: “The difference between reopening in July or September could likely be the determining factor in the survival of our industry, its suppliers and producers here.”
They suggested a “Covid Quality Assurance Scheme” could be set up to help give customers the confidence that “stringent measures” are in place to prevent the spread of the disease.
But with the tourism sector one of the hardesthit by coronavirus and the lockdown, they told Ms Sturgeon they will need “ongoing support up to Easter 2021”.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are continuing to carefully consider how best to plan for the restart and longterm recovery of Scotland’s hospitality industry.
“The Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group has been in place since the beginning of the crisis. The group has developed a national action plan to respond to the impact of the virus on the sector.”