Agritourism ‘strangled by red tape’
THE growth potential of Scotland’s agritourism sector is being ‘strangled by red tape’ and a series of planned policy changes which many are calling an ‘attack on rural businesses.’
Proposals for a Local Visitor Levy Bill, due to come before the Scottish Parliament this spring, would mean that everyone staying in accommodation in Scotland will have to be charged a local tourist tax. Crofters, Lindsay Robertson and Donald John, from the Isle of South Uist, who run Long Island Retreats, warned that this would make it more expensive for tourists to visit and could end up turning away vital footfall and investment in rural island areas.
“Visitors to our islands are already subject to the highest VAT rates and passenger duties in Europe, and this is another tax which makes us less competitive as an agritourism sector,” said Lindsay.
Rob and Emma Niven, who run Loch Leven’s Larder, raised concerns over proposals for a bottle return scheme, which would require them to process and store public waste, necessitating a significant reallocation of resources, personnel, and time.
“The government is passing the buck to us, to solve a problem that they haven’t been able to get on top of themselves, without any consultation with businesses or any clear details on what the scheme is going to look like, yet it is coming in less than six months,” said Rob. “The government wants us to become a recycling centre so the public can dump their waste on behalf of someone else.”
A consultation seeking views on a proposed ban on alcohol advertising in Scotland is also currently in progress and for farmers like Jenny McKerr, who set up the Wee Farm Distillery five years ago, would severely threaten her ability to market her gins and grow the business.
“It is not an option for us to build up a following and a market for five years, to then have to stop promoting it,” stressed Jenny. “It is hugely frustrating that as farmers, we are being encouraged to diversify and safeguard our businesses, then the next minute, we are being pelted by policies that seem to attack both our recovery from the pandemic and future growth.”
David Smythe, of Cloag Farm Cottages, in Perth, had as his main concern, plans for ‘Short Term Lets Licensing’, due to come into force in October.
“We have been running our three cottages for over 30 years and will now be hit with a £1600 fee to cover a three-year license. The same cottages would be looking at £400 over the Border in Stirling. The future growth and viability of our rural businesses shouldn’t be put down to a post-code lottery.”
Fourth generation beef and sheep farmers, Amy and Murray McConchie, were refused planning permission to build pods on their farm in Gatehouse of Fleet after a 32-week wait, which cost them £15,000 in private surveys and consultations.
“It is just so frustrating when others around us, including our family who run Laggan, are being given the go ahead to increase their number of pods, yet we seem to be penalised as our pods are deemed a ‘new cluster’, as opposed to an extension,” they told the SF. “These outdated views are stifling new growth and development and will prevent new entrants to agritourism, from getting a foothold.”