Heritage body warns Royal Mile is at risk of becoming ‘tourist ghetto’
● ‘Authenticity’ fears over domination of gift and souvenir shops
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is at risk of becoming a “tourist ghetto” and losing its “authenticity”, according to the damning findings of research by the watchdog charged with protecting the city’s World Heritage Site.
It has warned the long-term appeal and economical potential of the historic thoroughfare faces “destruction” due to the domination of gift and souvenir shops, a loss of local character, dwindling numbers of permanent residents and over commercialisation.
The Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) trust has recommended the creation of a ‘Made in Scotland’ scheme and a review of enforcement measures to help tackle misleading advertising and claims over products being sold on the Royal Mile.
Surveys of more than 500 visitors found they were far more likely to feel “surrounded by foreigners” than “hear Scottish accents” on the Royal Mile.
The findings, which are expected to help influence a new tourism strategy for the city, have emerged weeks after Edinburgh was named with Amsterdam, Rome, Venice and Barcelona as one of the world’s worst hotspots for “overtourism”.
The research, which also involved interviews with nearly 50 Royal Mile shop workers, revealed many visitors were either “frustrated or misled” in efforts to buy “high-quality authentic products”.
Concerns have been raised about damage being done to the historic environment by climate change, traffic congestion and soaring visitor numbers.
The new research has emerged months after an official report on the future of tourism in Edinburgh warned that “collective intervention” was needed to preserve the city’s history, heritage and built environment and the “feeling of authenticity” in the Old Town.
The EWH research found that footfall to the Royal Mile was driven by its historic character and visitor attractions, rather than its retail offer.
It states: “Our research also indicates the Royal Mile is losing its local character. It shows that people associate their visit more with attributes such as ‘being surrounded by foreigners’ than with ‘hearing local Scottish accents’. This suggests it is at risk of becoming a tourist ghetto, which will certainly detract from its longterm appeal and economic potential.
“When asked to name aspects which are not authentic, the overwhelming majority of comments concerned the retail sector, more specifically the gift and souvenir shops which dominate the landscape. Our research among shop assistants suggests visitors’ desire to purchase highquality, authentic Scottish products is frustrated by businesses selling lower-quality mass produced items, who ‘push the boundaries’ in terms of claims concerning Scottish production.”
Ewhdirectoradamwilkinson said: “These findings have confirmed what many of us have suspected – that the Royal Mile area risks becoming a tourist ghetto, and that the retail environment is to some extent detracting from its appeal.”