The first item of business this afternoon is a debate on motion S4M-10051, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on homecoming Scotland 2014. I advise members that the Presiding Officers will be generous with time allowances.
14:31
The debate provides an opportunity to highlight how homecoming Scotland 2014 will extend the benefits and opportunities offered by the Commonwealth games, the Ryder cup, the MTV Europe music awards and the armed forces national day event; to promote the year-long co-ordinated programme of events that are designed to welcome visitors in a celebration of the very best of Scotland’s food and drink, of our assets as a country of natural beauty and of our rich creativity and cultural and ancestral heritage; and to celebrate the significant successes that have been achieved to date.
Scotland competes for every visitor in a global market that continues to grow. The number of overseas visitors to Scotland is forecast to rise at a faster rate than the United Kingdom average. The recent independent Barclays study predicted that spending will rise by 40 per cent by 2017, which will contribute £2.5 billion to our economy. The predictions about our overseas visitors are welcome, but the industry recognises that we must keep refreshing the offering. We cannot afford to be complacent.
We need to recognise the value of not only our biggest market but our oldest friend, England. The latest figures for 2013 show that residents of England took 10 per cent more short breaks in Scotland than they did in 2012 and that the number of residents of England who took longer holidays in Scotland increased by 4 per cent between 2012 and 2013. Each and every one of them is welcome.
In 2013, the media giant CNN named Scotland as its top travel choice for 2014. That view is endorsed by Lonely Planet and Wanderlust magazine, which identified Scotland as a top world tourist destination to visit in 2014. That is a tribute to the successful work of VisitScotland and its team.
I might have misread them, but my reading of the figures for quarter 4 in 2013, from October to December, is that domestic visits decreased by more than 22 per cent from the same quarter in the previous year.
The most recent figures, which have just been released, show a positive position for tourism and particularly for overseas visitors. From time to time, domestic tourism has reduced. It is important to make the point that that has happened on both sides of the border—in Scotland and in England.
I will return to the topic of the day. Homecoming 2014 is the glue that binds together the unique opportunities of 2014. It builds on the successes of homecoming 2009, which influenced more than 95,000 visitors to travel to Scotland and generated net additional expenditure of £53.7 million.
A key feature in 2009 was the strong partnerships that were developed to unite behind a common theme. The Scottish Government committed to maintaining that approach by delivering a series of themed years to run from 2010 to 2013. That activity put the spotlight on some of our greatest assets; brought a focus to the promotion of domestic and international tourism; and supported the development of the events industry in Scotland.
It has been a great success. More than half a million people attended events and activities celebrating the year of food and drink; there was a 6 per cent increase in levels of participation in the events that were supported throughout the year of active Scotland; and messaging for the year of creative Scotland reached almost 70 million people. The year of natural Scotland achieved a 12 per cent increase in the number of visitors to rural and coastal locations in Scotland.
The year 2014 is unique in terms of raising Scotland’s national and international profile as a world-class tourism destination. At its heart is the homecoming programme, the delivery of which is being led by VisitScotland along with private, public and third sector partners. VisitScotland, supported by a £5.5 million core budget from Scottish Government, is targeting a return on investment of £44 million of additional tourism revenue for Scotland.
There are now 837 events included in the programme, which is more than double the number that took place in 2009. Activities are taking place across every local authority area in Scotland throughout the year. I am sure that many members in the chamber will wish to extol and promote the events that are occurring in their areas and constituencies.
Homecoming-themed hogmanay and Burns celebrations have already taken place. The legacy of John Muir was recently marked with the John Muir festival and the opening of the John Muir way, and the launch of the iconic Kelpies sculptures.
Looking ahead, key events such as Bannockburn live, the Edinburgh festivals, the Forth bridges festival, the Ryder cup opening concert, the Highland homecoming and the MTV Europe music awards are still to come. In addition, there are community-led events taking place the length and breadth of the country. My ministerial colleagues—including Fiona Hyslop, who is sitting beside me—and I are fully committed to actively supporting a range of events throughout the year. The efforts of the officials involved have been unparalleled, and I pay tribute to their unstinting support and determination to ensure that Scotland succeeds as never before on the world stage.
With its partners, VisitScotland is leading the effort to ensure that Scotland’s welcome to the world is promoted throughout the whole year. It has developed the brilliant moments campaign and the “Doorsteps” advert to promote the 2014 events that are programmed for a UK-wide audience. Media and public relations events in VisitScotland’s key markets have already secured an estimated reach of 6.5 million from international press advertising, and substantial news and travel coverage is contributing to the global PR reach.
Results are already being achieved. Celtic Connections celebrated its most successful year to date with more than 110,000 tickets sold and gross sales topping £1.5 million, which is a 10 per cent increase on previous years. Electric Glen, the winter lighting festival in East Renfrewshire’s Rouken Glen park, sold all its 24,000 tickets this year, more than doubling last year’s attendances. The Glasgow film festival was another fantastic success, with record-breaking ticket sales in excess of 41,000: the highest in its history and up by 6 per cent on last year. In addition, 9,000 people attended the spectacular international opening of the Kelpies, which indicates a positive benefit that is likely to be realised for the local area.
In addition, VisitScotland and the enterprise companies are working with their account-managed businesses to harness the potential of homecoming. Some notable successes already include Royal Mail, which has created a homecoming postmark; Thomas Tunnock and Walkers Shortbread, which will feature the homecoming logo on product packaging; and Mackie’s of Scotland, which is running homecoming Scotland on-pack promotions with its crisps.
Homecoming offers the opportunity to maintain the momentum and good will that was generated in 2009 among the millions of ancestral Scots, and this year a significant number of clan-focused events are being supported by the Scottish Government. I am delighted to have the following message of support for homecoming from Sir Malcolm MacGregor, convener of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, who is watching the debate in the public gallery today.
Sir Malcolm said this:
“The clans and their leaders play a significant role in attracting thousands of Scots living in other parts of the UK and abroad back to Scotland every year. Therefore the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs wholeheartedly support initiatives like Homecoming. A Homecoming year is particularly important because it gives the worldwide clan network a sense of focus and purpose. Combined with a significant anniversary like the battle of Bannockburn increases the resonance. Homecoming is about bringing people home – to Scotland. Many of those who answer the call, have strong clan and family roots from the Outer Hebrides to the Borders. They take part in, and contribute financially to clan based conservation projects and communal activities. This in turn helps to develop a sense of belonging and affection towards local communities within Scotland.”
I am sure that we would all welcome that strong message from Sir Malcolm.
I have been working closely with our Highland clans in supporting the formation of the Highland clans partnership group. That work led to the launch of the Scottish clan event fund, which has been providing legally constituted clans and societies with financial support for clan events held across Scotland.
I am delighted that John Mackenzie, the Earl of Cromartie and chair of the Highland clans partnership group, is also in the public gallery today to offer his support for the homecoming celebrations. He has provided this message of support:
“On behalf of the Highland Clans Partnership Group I would like to offer my support to Mr Ewing and the Homecoming Scotland 2014 initiative. With its focus on our ancestry, heritage and culture Homecoming Scotland 2014 has helped to promote and assist our Clan Societies to hold their own Gatherings with an emphasis on attracting and enabling overseas clan members to come to Scotland in the years to come.”
It is undoubtedly the case that the enormous amount of work, effort and commitment that is made by the clans in arranging and delivering their gatherings, often on a quinquennial basis, brings people to Scotland for the purposes of friendship and amity. It is difficult to overestimate the contribution that they make to Scotland and to tourism.
Homecoming provides an opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s diversity, and it is helping to ensure that all of Scotland’s communities are encouraged to join in the celebrations. Education Scotland, as part of its cross-curricular approach to education, has developed a homecoming 2014 learning resource. Using homecoming events as a context for learning, this helps teachers to draw on the available resources aligned to the themes of the year.
More than 570 homecoming events are still to take place between now and the end of the year. We are halfway through the month-long celebration of whisky, with events focusing on one of Scotland’s biggest cultural exports as well as on the very best of Scotland’s food and drink. Bannockburn live will be an inclusive event, representing the best that contemporary Scotland has to offer, as well as marking the 700th anniversary of the battle at Bannockburn. Over the summer, there will be a full range of homecoming activities complementary to the Commonwealth games. The Ryder cup will be a key focus of activity in the autumn, along with the Forth bridges festival, the Highland homecoming and the MTV Europe music awards 2014.
Homecoming will be the springboard for a further series of themed years, celebrating our world-renowned food and drink, our reputation for innovation, architecture and design, our unique history, heritage and archaeology and the exceptional potential of our young people.
Homecoming is already proving to be a great success. I hope that we can all use the debate to welcome the year; that we can explore what the celebrations will mean at a national and local level; and, working across all parties represented in the chamber in a bipartisan fashion, that we can agree to work together to support Scotland’s events industry and harness the current and emerging tourism and economic opportunities as we progress through this very exciting year and beyond.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the contribution made by each of the themed years in the lead up to Homecoming Scotland 2014; welcomes the role that the Homecoming year is playing in extending the economic and cultural benefits and opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup, the MTV Europe Music Awards and the Armed Forces Day national event through its year-long, co-ordinated programme of events that are designed to celebrate the very best of Scotland’s food and drink, its assets as a country of natural beauty as well as its rich creativity and cultural and ancestral heritage; supports the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme, which comprises a series of high-profile signature events, including Whisky Month, Bannockburn Live, the Forth Bridges Festival and the Highland Homecoming, which frame a programme of over 800 funded and partner events taking place throughout the year across every local authority area in Scotland, and acknowledges the successes already achieved through the Homecoming year in raising the profile of Scotland both nationally and internationally as a world class tourism destination.
14:44
The 2014 year of homecoming is an opportunity to showcase Scotland to the world, but it is also an opportunity to create lasting change for Scotland’s communities and our economy. Labour’s amendment to the Government motion highlights that opportunity, and I will explore some ideas for how we can go about achieving such lasting change.
The Commonwealth games, which we are all looking forward to—especially since Mo Farah announced that he will come and join us in Glasgow—is one of the thousands of events that are taking place across Scotland to mark the year of homecoming in 2014. I pay tribute to the sterling work of Glasgow City Council and its Labour administrations, which have worked tirelessly over the years and are now working hand in hand with the Scottish Government to make the Commonwealth games a big success.
The Commonwealth games, together with the Ryder cup and events in every local authority area, mean that Scotland will receive a significant economic boost, not only in the short term but in the long term, from the number of people who will visit our country in the latter half of the year.
Barclays Bank has estimated that spending from overseas visitors in Scotland will rise by 40 per cent by 2017. Similarly, Deloitte has estimated that the tourism industry, which was worth almost £12 billion in 2013, will grow to be worth £23 billion by 2025, which would be a rise of more than 40 per cent. In that sense, the year of homecoming will help to secure long-term growth in Scotland’s tourism, hospitality and service sectors. When that is coupled with infrastructure investment in the likes of the Victoria and Albert design museum, which will open in my home city over the next few years, it is clear that we have the opportunity to boost long-term growth in every part of Scotland. That is extremely important. The estimates from Barclays and Deloitte on the plans and figures are hugely optimistic, and well they should be. As the minister and I have discussed previously, tourism has got to be one of the industries of growth in our country.
The plans and figures are also instructive for the Government as they highlight opportunity that we have to make the most of that potential for all our communities. We should ask at every turn how we create lasting change in our economy and in our communities, particularly the communities most in need from the predicted boost for the tourism industry from events such as the 2014 homecoming.
Let us take the provision of modern apprenticeships as an example. In March last year, Skills Development Scotland produced an investment strategy for tourism. In the strategy, it worked with tourism employers, stakeholders and partners to identify skills gaps in the sector and made a number of recommendations about how the gaps could be addressed. Chief among the comments from employers was that there is a need to improve young people’s awareness of the career opportunities in tourism, a need to create clear and well-publicised routes into the tourism industry and a need to promote a skilled workforce, particularly in the management and professional categories.
I have experienced that gap at first hand on recent visits to employment projects in Dundee. On one visit, I was a little surprised, but really heartened, by the number of young people—especially young men—in the room who said that they wanted to work in the hospitality industry. There is obviously an appetite for that. The predicted growth is very good for those young people. We must find ways of getting them into the industry and getting them skilled up both so that they can be very good employees in the industry and so that they can create businesses of their own and therefore create work for other people.
The same report goes on to cite modern apprenticeships as a key lever in achieving those aims. At the time of the report’s publication, the minister, Fergus Ewing, said:
“As we prepare the nation to welcome the world to Scotland in 2014, ensuring employers can access the training they need is more important than ever.”
I agree with that, yet I have been contacted recently by one training provider of modern apprenticeships in the areas relating to tourism, such as hospitality, retail logistics and customer service, who has been told by Skills Development Scotland that funding in those sectors is set to be cut in the coming year, and cut again in the years to follow.
Naturally, that has caused alarm in the company, which has asked a valid question: why, in this year of homecoming, are we pulling investment out of the very sectors that are critical to its success, against the advice of Skills Development Scotland’s investment strategy? The minister might shed some light on that in his closing remarks, or perhaps we could talk about it after the debate. I would like him to give me an assurance that Skills Development Scotland funding for modern apprenticeships in those areas will not be cut, in light of the huge potential that he and I have outlined today.
The Government motion mentions attracting overseas visitors to Scotland. That is hugely important, not just because of the tourism that it brings in but because of the potential to build business links in emerging markets and the social good that comes from having a diverse and culturally rich society. However, one of our biggest tourist markets is on our doorstep, in the form of the rest of the United Kingdom. If we look at VisitScotland’s tourism figures for the last quarter of 2013, which were published just the other day, we find something quite surprising. Although the number of overseas visitors has increased by 20 per cent, domestic tourism within the United Kingdom to Scotland has dropped by 22 per cent, and spending in that sector has gone down by 10 per cent, too.
There are certain intangibles that contribute to a successful tourism sector—factors that are hard to measure but which influence a person’s decision to visit a particular country. One of those intangibles is good will between countries. It is a well-known fact among tourism experts, and a sensible assertion, that when countries foster good will towards one another it helps to boost tourism between those countries. I wonder whether the Scottish Government’s position to break away from the rest of the United Kingdom, and the message that that sends out to the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland—
How does what Jenny Marra says—which is really quite extraordinary, among all the extraordinary things that one hears in this place—square with, for example, the fact that the Lonely Planet travel guide named Scotland the third best place to visit in 2014, behind Brazil and Antarctica? How does that work to form the view in the member’s mind that, just because we are having a political debate, people do not want to come to Scotland? Lots of people are coming to Scotland and want to continue to come to Scotland, and they are all most welcome.
Like Annabelle Ewing, I always promote Scotland as the best place in the world to visit. However, I always know that, when the Scottish National Party starts to read from pre-prepared briefs, it is to counter the facts that have been published by their agencies. VisitScotland published these figures on 8 May 2014, at 9.30. [Interruption.]
Can we let the member make her point?
VisitScotland’s figures make it clear that the number of overseas visitors to Scotland has increased, as has overseas spend. However, domestic visits from the rest of the UK to Scotland have decreased for the full year and for the quarters. For quarter 4, which goes from October to December 2013, they have decreased by 22.5 per cent.
Does the member accept that, in this time of austerity, people are perhaps looking at how they spend their money and that that has nothing to do with good will? We send our good will and good wishes to all our neighbours, not just in the UK but in Europe and across the globe.
I ask Dennis Robertson to study the VisitScotland figures carefully and see whether he does not come to the same conclusion as I do. I would be interested to hear, in his closing speech, the minister’s explanation of that quarterly drop.
The year of homecoming Scotland is an opportunity for us to celebrate all that is great about our nation. It also presents us with a chance to create lasting economic and social change in communities throughout the country. We must seize that opportunity wherever we can. I hope that we see long-term economic benefits and a positive social legacy from the events that take place this year.
I move amendment S4M-10051.1, to insert at end:
“, and agrees on the need to ensure that the events associated with Homecoming Scotland are used to secure a lasting economic and social legacy, particularly for the poorest and most deprived areas, as well as delivery of opportunities for sustainable economic growth and employment in communities across Scotland”.
I call Alex Johnstone. You have a generous six minutes.
14:55
Thank you for your generosity, Presiding Officer. We support the motion in the name of Fergus Ewing and will support the amendment in the name of Jenny Marra.
During the debate, we have heard at length about the importance of the tourism industry in Scotland. For areas such as Edinburgh, tourism is an extremely important industry and has been for many years.
Hear, hear.
One of the members who represent Edinburgh has taken it on himself to give me some encouragement on that. However, it can be difficult to get tourists who come to Scotland to move around the country and visit other areas. Those who are familiar with the nature of the rural economy will know that tourism is—perhaps surprisingly—right up there as one of the most significant contributors to the rural economy, and there is much more that we could do if we could get people to visit rural parts of Scotland and the more far-flung areas such as the Highlands and Islands.
We realise that it is important—as the minister said—to encourage and foster good relations with our United Kingdom partners. The subject was also raised, somewhat controversially, by Jenny Marra. I believe that good-natured friendship is important in driving those relations forward. Some interesting figures show the number of German tourists who have visited southern Europe in the past two to three years. At the height of the crisis over the euro, when there was a view in certain southern European countries that Germany was reeling in some of the loans and putting financial pressure on them, many Germans found it difficult to visit those countries because they believed that they would be unwelcome. It is important that we all have that clearly in mind. Whether we are for or against the arguments that have been put during the debate so far, I am glad to have heard Fergus Ewing raise the matter as a priority at the start of the debate.
Scotland is a popular tourist destination. We have heard about the CNN, Lonely Planet and Wanderlust assessment of Scotland as one of the best places to visit, and I could not agree more. Scotland is a wonderful place to live and a hospitable place that attracts visitors from all over the world. It is important that we concentrate on ensuring that our North American and international tourism trade continues to thrive. American visitors, above all, have a very high spend rate when they come to Scotland and can be very important to many of our tourist businesses. Homecoming Scotland 2014 is a significant part of the effort that is going on all over the country to ensure that we deliver that tourism.
Scotland has been courageous in taking up the opportunities to stage some of the events that are taking place this year. Events such as world cups and Olympic games almost drive quite large countries with large economies to the verge of bankruptcy, so it is significant for Scotland that the Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup will be staged here in the same year. It is a demonstration of Scotland’s ability that it can successfully organise such events in a practical and effective manner, and we should be proud of our achievements. The Commonwealth games facilities are ready, and I am sure that the Ryder cup will be a success although it will be difficult for it to outperform the way in which it has promoted the sale of tartan troosers in previous years.
The MTV Europe music awards will pass without making any dent in my diary, I am sure. However, armed forces day, which commemorates the extremely effective military history of Scottish regiments and their role in the British Army, is a key event that all of us should support.
On looking at the homecoming Scotland programme, there are one or two issues that I must take up with the minister. Whisky month in particular gives me serious cause for concern—it is impossible to do justice to our whisky industry in a single month and consideration should be given to extending that event, if not officially then in an unofficial capacity. I am willing to join the minister in doing all that I can to that end.
Bannockburn live, which is built around an event that happens annually, will be interesting. I noticed that significant changes have been made to the financing of the event. Perhaps that has been learned from previous experience.
I have publicly expressed my concern that the Forth bridges festival will happen rather too close to the referendum and I worry that that may be lost in the publicity surrounding other matters at the time.
The Highland homecoming will be significant. The Government motion says that a total of 800 events will take place around Scotland, which we should all be proud of. However, we should learn past lessons. The issues surrounding the gathering in 2009 are still with us. That flagship event ran into problems. The company running the event lost £516,000 and went into liquidation, with £382,000 owed to six bodies and a further £344,000 owed to 103 private organisations. Scottish ministers had to help rescue the 2009 event with a £180,000 interest-free loan, which was not disclosed at the time, if I remember correctly.
Audit Scotland reviewed the event and had some scathing recommendations on improving communication, better financial reporting and greater accountability. The Public Audit Committee reviewed the procedures around the event, concluding that poor communication at key points throughout the planning, delivery and aftermath of the gathering 2009 event meant that, sometimes, decisions were taken without access to all the available information. The Scottish Government should have told the steering group about the £180,000 loan to the private sector company delivering the event. The committee also recommended that the Government reconsider its approach to joining any such steering groups in future. I hope that those lessons will be learned for the purpose of the event that is coming up.
Does Alex Johnstone not accept that the Bannockburn live event is structured and being run completely differently? It is an entirely different type of event.
That may be partially due to the understanding that was accrued after the 2009 event. Lessons have been learned.
That is a yes then.
This year, 2014, is a landmark year of cultural and sporting events for Scotland. It presents us with an opportunity not only to showcase the many positive aspects of Scotland to the world, but to reach out to the diaspora and our trading partners, both old and new, to maximise the cultural and economic benefits of this eclectic programme.
There is something for everyone this year, and I very much welcome the fact that the events are occurring not only in the restricted geographical area of the central belt; other areas, such as the Highlands and Islands and the north-east, will get some benefit too.
It is regrettable that the perception of the homecoming has been somewhat tainted by previous issues, although I am confident that public opinion will get behind the event. However, with those concerns in mind, I hope that the minister is not only providing all the assistance required, but keeping a close eye on the event planning, although it is heartening that premium tickets for the Bannockburn event and clan pitches are sold out.
Delivering a successful event and a positive experience for our visitors is vital if we want them to return to further explore our magnificent landscapes, our enviable history or the culinary excellence, which can be found across the country, most often using the world-leading produce that we have in Scotland.
Presiding Officer, 2014 is an opportunity. I support it and I hope that, the lessons of the past having been learned, it will lead to a successful event.
We have quite a bit of time in hand at the moment. Members may welcome interventions and develop their points, within reason.
15:05
There is always extra time when I do not need to use it. That is the story of my life.
I thought that this was a debate about homecoming, not the wearisome, tedious scaremongering that Jenny Marra introduced. It was not even in her amendment. Its place is not this debate.
I do not know who came up with the title “homecoming” as a marketing brand. I usually find that marketing titles miss the mark, but I like that one because it means that someone is coming home. It is evocative, warm and a good title. It encapsulates the journey that people will make from far-flung shores and from parts of Scotland—or, indeed, England—to the community that they have left behind. Those communities are still deep within people’s hearts, so the title touches on something that we all have within us.
The Scottish population is around 5.2 million, but we can multiply that tenfold at least for those with Scottish ancestry and connections. We all know the importance of tourism—domestic and otherwise—to the Scottish economy. It was illustrated by the statistics in the minister’s speech.
Christine Grahame is, of course, correct to talk about the importance of domestic tourism. Will she note that VisitEngland reports a 21 per cent drop in domestic tourism in England, with a continuous decline there? Whatever patterns may prevail in domestic tourism, Scotland is doing neither better nor worse than anywhere else.
I am obliged to Stewart Stevenson for that. Jenny Marra was busy writing it down and amending her closing speech.
I found the VisitScotland website and, indeed, the Scottish Borders Council website regarding homecoming events easy to access. I am a technophobe, so if I can understand it, anybody can. However, Midlothian Council has missed a bit of a trick. I tried to use its website to see what was going on in the region but it was not good, except when it mentioned the Midlothian science festival in October, which is part of the homecoming events. Midlothian Council should sort out its website. There is still time.
No doubt some members will refer to events in our constituencies, as I will. We all know that there is a lot going on beyond the conurbations. The difficulty was making sure that homecoming Scotland went beyond the big cities and the official so-called homecoming events to include small events that could piggyback on the official stuff.
My political patch straddles parts of the Borders and the south of Midlothian. It goes from Melrose right across to the Pentland Hills and I love it to bits. However, those two bits are not as different from each other as some might think. They both had a history of industry in textiles and mining, which is now gone, and what they have left are historic events and museums. Those are particularly accessible to English visitors, who enjoy them very much—just as Scottish people enjoyed travelling 1 mile over the border into Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Does Christine Grahame acknowledge that it is open not only to people but, often, to people and their pets to enjoy the events that are taking place?
It is indeed. I am obliged to Mr Q’s owner for bringing that into the debate. He seems to be a bit of a star of this week.
The Borders is renowned—rightly so—for its ridings, which form part of the official events as the return to the ridings celebration. My diary is already filling up with Galashiels’s braw lad and lass celebrations, the whipman play of West Linton and Beltane at Peebles. Those are extremely important to the communities.
Melrose has not only the Melrose sevens, which is part of homecoming, but its book festival. Melrose abbey is an extraordinary place because it is said to hold the heart of Robert the Bruce and, quite differently, it has a sculpture of a pig playing a bagpipe. Why, nobody knows.
Melrose also has what we have lost in so many of our wee places—little idiosyncratic shops. It is a wonderful place to go. Abbotsford house, which was the home of Sir Walter Scott, has just been refurbished, and there is a spanking new visitors centre that is a real lesson in how to do a visitors centre: it is interactive and interesting, and children from the Borders can be heard reciting Walter Scott’s poems in their Borders accents. It is excellent.
In Midlothian, there is the Penicuik hunter and lass. What happens at the ridings and galas across the south of Scotland is that all the main players wear the colours of their community and their rosettes and go round in support of one another. They are great community events that bring together communities across the south of Scotland. In Newtongrange, there is the giant flywheel on Main Street that used to haul the miners’ cages up from and down to the pits, and the walkway that goes across the A7, which the miners used to cross from the pits to the bath houses to scrub off the pit grime.
There are many things to see and do in Scotland. People from outside Scotland and from across the country travel back to their home community for events such as the ridings, which allow them to touch a part of their past. Each of those people has their own homecoming. They bring with them their wallets and their purses and they spend locally. In doing so, they support local business.
I am pleased that the minister advised us that there has been an increase in the number of rural visits, which is where we need to make our mark. We have heard enough about places such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. My teeny whinge is that the Borders railway—the Waverley line—will not open until early 2015. It will link all the communities that I have mentioned, so it would have been a wonderful tourism asset for the year of homecoming.
One link that we have is the passing through of the baton for the Commonwealth games. On 16 June, it will pass through Penicuik, Newtongrange and Gorebridge and, on 18 June, it will pass through Earlston, Melrose and Tweedbank before moving on to John Lamont’s constituency, but I do not care about that. My point is that that is uniting people who might not be able to go to the Commonwealth games or who cannot get tickets and involving them in the good spirit. The passing through of the baton is good for local communities, and I congratulate the baton bearers and local businesses. It is also good for the soul.
I wholly subscribe to the tenor of the motion, but I wish that the minister had put a wee word in it about the south of Scotland. There is not a phrase that mentions the Borders or Dumfries and Galloway; we could have done with that.
Finally, I return to what Jenny Marra said. I am half English. Half my relatives live in the midlands. My son is to marry a Londoner in September. They will not fall out with Scotland if we become independent. In fact, they are on our side. My mother—who was English born and bred, as I was—was the biggest fighter for Scottish independence you ever met. We should never forget that lots of English people are on the side of independence for Scotland, which will be good for England.
Many thanks. Answers on a postcard to Ms Grahame as to why a pig might be playing the bagpipes in Melrose.
15:13
Good afternoon, Presiding Officer.
What is the homecoming? Who is it for and is it fit for purpose? When the homecoming was launched, I thought that it was a great idea. Labour successfully launched homecoming Scotland 2009, which created jobs and added to our economy. In some areas, Scotland is doing well to build on that success. We are making a lot of effort to market Scotland’s image overseas, but it feels as though, at home, we are not really bothering. When I asked constituents how they felt about homecoming 2014, the answer was, “What’s that?” which speaks volumes. I feel that not enough is being done here at home.
The motion has a bit of a cheek to say that
“over 800 funded and partner events”
are taking place when less than 15 per cent of this year’s homecoming events are brand new. That means that around 700 of the events that are taking place this year would have taken place anyway and been promoted by the likes of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. That has left me unimpressed, as it tells me that much more can be done. This is supposed to be a year for Scotland to reinforce its position on the international stage as a dynamic and creative nation. In 2014, Scotland will be on the world stage as never before, yet Scotland is being unoriginal and is not fully capitalising on opportunities that this year brings.
Individual events in Scotland have had a good level of success already this year. Celtic Connections, the Ryder cup, the Edinburgh festival and the Commonwealth games are only a few of the already successful brands that are included in homecoming 2014. I find little evidence that homecoming 2014 is adding more value to many of those events, which is why I feel it should pay attention to newer events.
Homecoming 2014 cannot have a brass neck and take credit for all the Scottish events of 2014; it can only take credit for the events that it has a role in.
I am sure that Mr Malik will recall that he was on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee at the time VisitScotland outlined its plans for homecoming Scotland and told us about its robust methodology to determine whether or not it makes a difference. It indicated that there is a 7:1 leverage—£7 is won for Scotland with every £1 of public money that VisitScotland spends. Does Mr Malik not agree that that is a terrific result?
At best, that evidence was a little shady. At worst, it is unfair and unreasonable to take credit from others for work that it has not done, or has contributed little towards. That is why I do not agree with Mike MacKenzie.
One of the events that homecoming 2014 has had a role in is the exhibition for the battle of Bannockburn. Sales for Bannockburn live currently stand at a quarter of their allocation, according to EventScotland. Is that okay? Members will be the judge of that. Once again, more needs to be done to fully capitalise on the purpose of homecoming 2014.
According to its website, a purpose of homecoming 2014 is to welcome international visitors. Thirty-three per cent of ticket sales for Bannockburn live have been to overseas visitors and 18 per cent of total sales have been to the US, which is reasonable. I do not want to come across as against homecoming 2014; I just believe that more can and should be done. Credit can only be claimed where it is earned.
I also believe that homecoming 2014 has failed to engage with minority communities. A big opportunity has been missed: homecoming could have engaged people from those communities in employment and, even more important, it could have brought communities together. Homecoming 2014 has lacked vision and flair. That charge is fair, because I see no evidence of the work of minority communities in homecoming 2014.
15:19
As the constituency MSP for Stirling, I am delighted to contribute to the debate on homecoming 2014. Frankly, I cannot stand any more miserableness this afternoon. The debate should be about celebrating what we are trying to achieve in Scotland. We should be talking up these events and trying get more people involved, get a lot more tourists into our country and get this economy moving, not trying to talk everything down.
One thing that I am pleased about is that Stirling is at the heart of the homecoming for 2014, just as it is at the very heart of Scotland. This year sees the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn and King Robert the Bruce’s victory over King Edward II. In recognising this special year in Scottish history, the Scottish Government has invested, along with others, in a new and exciting National Trust for Scotland Bannockburn visitor centre, which is already becoming legendary in its own right. With its state-of-the-art digital technology and incredible three-dimensional effects, it brings to life the characters involved in the battle of Bannockburn—nobles and commoners alike from both sides of the battle.
I have been involved in a couple of the battle plans that visitors can take part in. Once one sees the scale of what Robert the Bruce was trying to deal with in 1314, one can begin to understand the true genius of the guy as a commander of forces, whichever side of the argument one is on. I fought on King Edward’s side and won, and that made me understand how difficult things must have been for Robert the Bruce.
The renovation work on the rotunda and on the magnificent equestrian statue of King Robert the Bruce on the field of Bannockburn is truly remarkable. Anyone who gets a chance to see it will find that some of the detail on that equestrian statue is absolutely stunning, and I was delighted to be there on the day, earlier this year, when Lord Elgin came along to unveil the statue of his ancestor. It has done the city of Stirling and all those involved proud.
Bruce Crawford has sold his visitor centre to me, so I will come and see his if he will come and see mine.
Answer calmly, Mr Crawford.
I cannot remember the number of times I have been made that promise by Christine Grahame, but we will talk about that later.
The investment in the visitor centre is already paying off, with reports in last week’s media that there have already been 12,000 people through its doors since it opened only a few short weeks ago, and we have not yet had the official opening. I congratulate the National Trust for Scotland. I know that it has not been the easiest of times for the trust in bringing everything together, and it has faced big challenges, but it has done a fantastic job of producing that new visitor centre.
It goes without saying that there will be significant economic benefits to Stirling from the wider programme of homecoming events in and around the city this year. The 2014 homecoming year was kicked off early and in style by Stirling’s Hogmanay party at Stirling castle, headlined by Deacon Blue. It was watched by more than 1.3 million live television viewers; money cannot buy that type of exposure, either for Stirling or for Scotland. The economic benefit calculations that were done both for Stirling city and for the wider Scottish economy were quite significant.
Other outstanding events add to the superbly diverse offer in Stirling in 2014. I must apologise to Christine Grahame for going on about Stirling all the time. I have not yet mentioned the Borders—but now I have, so I am probably off the leash.
So back to Stirling!
I will get back to Stirling, as Alex Johnstone quite rightly said. One event that I bitterly regret not being able to attend last weekend, because I had a heavy cold, was the Spirit of Stirling whisky festival. The festival has grown in strength year in, year out and has had to move to accommodate its growth, and it is always a sell-out production. I congratulate the people involved in organising it.
I appreciate that Mr Crawford may have had a heavy cold, but is he not aware of the great Scottish toddy, which could have assisted with his cold?
Mr Robertson is teasing me now, because I am going to have to admit something about how I sort my colds out. Not only do I have a Lemsip, but I have a large glass of uisge-beatha on top of that to help me get through the worst of it. That is probably why I am here today.
Over the weekend of 27 to 29 June, we will see Stirling as the centrepiece of national events on an unprecedented scale. Pipefest, national armed forces day and Bannockburn live are three phenomenal events in their own right and could easily stand alone, but they will combine in Stirling to create a truly remarkable weekend. We will have the skirl of the pipes and the boom of the drums.
Will the member take an intervention?
Talking of pipes, we have a piper now wanting to make an intervention.
I hope that my colleague Bruce Crawford will retract that comment about the pipes, because a skirl is a bad note, not a good note.
All I can say is that I have heard you playing. [Laughter.]
At Pipefest, 1,600 pipers and drummers, accompanied by Highland dancers and clan representatives, will march through the city on the Friday evening. That will ensure beyond any shadow of a doubt that the weekend will begin in spectacular fashion and no one will be in any doubt that an extraordinary weekend has begun.
The same weekend, we will have the national armed forces day event, which will take place beneath Stirling’s towering castle rock. Stirling has a long and distinguished relationship with the armed forces, so I am delighted that the city will host the national armed forces day event, which will continue that proud tradition.
The Bannockburn live event, which will take place on 28 and 29 June, will be a unique opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s history and culture. What is on offer? There is a stellar line-up of the best Scottish folk and contemporary musicians, with talented people who will keep the crowds entertained in the music arena of the Bannockburn live celebrations. It will be headlined by singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean and the Gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis. There will be three electrifying performances of the battle of Bannockburn involving hundreds of re-enactors from across Europe who will join forces and collide, all choreographed by the Clanranald Trust for Scotland, which is famous for its work on the Hollywood blockbusters “Gladiator”, “Robin Hood” and the second “Thor” film. Three hundred living historians are preparing for the battle.
At the interactive medieval encampments, people will be able to experience life in 14th century Scotland and relive the sights and sounds of the time, from the clang of the hammer to the aromas of fresh kiln-fired bread. People will be able to hear about Scotland’s culture and history, as interpreted and retold by a range of prolific Scottish voices. Scotland is a land of food and drink, with one of the best natural larders in the world, and at Bannockburn live there will be many outlets through which people will be able to sample and savour delicious Scottish produce, whisky—so I hope that Alex Johnstone has bought his ticket—real ales and much more, and meet the passionate producers behind them.
I thank Dr Mike Cantlay, Unique Events and the National Trust for Scotland for bringing together the event. I understand that well over 4,000 tickets have been sold and that things are progressing properly, with a good plan in place to ensure that the rest are sold. As Alex Johnstone said, all the king’s tickets have been sold. Thankfully, I have my king’s ticket for the Sunday, because on the Saturday I will be at the armed forces event.
Stirling and the surrounding area will also host an amazing array of other events, from Stirling’s big night out and an international angling festival to the wonderful events at the Smith art gallery and museum. There will be lots of other local events going on. Given the world-class events that Scotland will host in 2014, including the Glasgow Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup, this truly is a magnificent year of culture for Scotland, with Stirling rightly at its heart. Let us for goodness’ sake start talking up events in Scotland from now on. Let us talk up our country, not talk it down, and ensure that we get tourists coming here and enjoying our product. Let us get on and get the job done.
Many thanks for that spirited contribution.
15:28
I congratulate Bruce Crawford on a speech that actually managed to cheer up Mr Malik—I know that, because I saw him smiling.
One issue that was mentioned during the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee’s scrutiny of homecoming was that there could be a displacement effect resulting from the large and higher-profile events in the central belt drawing people away from other parts of the country. Those concerns were given some credence because of the evidence suggesting that the Olympic games had that effect. I was therefore delighted to hear that VisitScotland is aware of the potential problem and has planned a comprehensive programme of events covering every part of Scotland. I am particularly pleased that even the far-flung communities of Orkney and Shetland have not been left out.
As Liam McArthur would no doubt tell members, if he was here, Orkney’s St Magnus international festival and international science festival are well established, hugely stimulating and exciting events that will be given a welcome boost by homecoming.
More intriguing perhaps is the Orkney nature festival, which is billed as an outdoor festival that presents “Orkney whisky’s wild side”. Mr Johnstone might care to travel to Orkney for that. I take the opportunity to commend Highland Park to members, as well as the less well-known Scapa. Both whiskies are best savoured in the convivial settings of Orkney, but like all whiskies they travel extremely well, reaching every corner of the globe in perfect condition.
I urge members to visit Orkney. They can take in some of the events that I have mentioned and take home some Orkney whisky and some wonderful memories.
There is always friendly rivalry between our islands, which is why I am glad to see that Shetland has not been outdone by Orkney and has its fair share of homecoming events. As Tavish Scott would no doubt tell members, if he was here, the Shetland nature festival, which is in its seventh year, is an established event that highlights Shetland’s marvellous natural heritage.
Even an islander like me is astonished at the array of wildlife that can be seen at close quarters on Shetland. Shetland’s geopark status highlights and helps us to understand the profound influence that geology has had and continues to have on our communities. Striations of limestone that run through the Shetland strata produce fertile soils in an otherwise inhospitable and infertile landscape, greatly enhancing farming. The numerous narrow sea lochs, or voes, historically provided an accessible and relatively sheltered winter fishery, and now provide locations for fish farms. Shetland provides a wonderful showcase for geology.
The Shetland fiddle frenzy focuses on Shetland’s well-known traditional musical culture, which has been taken to the world by Aly Bain, Catriona Macdonald, and others too numerous to mention. Shetland wool week celebrates another great Shetland strength—its world-renowned traditional knitwear, lace and other textile crafts, all of which have experienced a revival in recent years and have significant growth opportunities.
Shetland and its oil fund provide a lesson on how the rest of Scotland can be after independence. Over the years, Shetland has invested its wealth in excellent infrastructure and world-class community facilities. More recently, as the need to diversify the economy has become apparent, Shetland is becoming a must-see destination, and investment is being put into tourism and other growth sectors. I urge members to visit this windy island paradise, which will surprise and energise them with its raw vitality, its creativity and its sense of purpose and possibility.
I have time only to give a flavour of the homecoming events on Orkney and Shetland. Both communities not only respect and value their past, environment and heritage but embrace the future. They actively demonstrate that those aims, in knowledgeable and caring hands, are not incompatible but complementary and can empower local economies.
I congratulate VisitScotland on its excellent execution of a vast programme of events. In recent years, the agency has achieved a 7:1 multiplier for every public pound that it has spent. For homecoming, it has set a target of 8:1. I am sure that VisitScotland will meet its target. I am pleased to note that its economic cost-benefit methodology is robust, so we can be sure of its figures.
In conclusion, though, I would say that even with that robust methodology, the economic benefit is not fully captured in the figures. The effects last for years afterwards in repeat business, in broadcasting the merits of Scotland worldwide, and in winning business for Scotland’s businesses at home and abroad. I look forward to a successful homecoming year and to many more such years in future.
15:35
I am pleased to be able to take part in this afternoon’s debate on homecoming Scotland 2014. This will be a unique year for many reasons, and it will live long in all our memories for one reason or another. I am very much looking forward to the many celebrations that will take place during the next few months to recognise this unique year, not least of which is my 30th birthday celebrations. However, I understand that they will not be paramount in all members’ minds and that the Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup will be just two of the main events that will receive more attention.
It is a real shame that the Commonwealth games ticket fiasco has dominated the headlines this week. I have been thoroughly impressed by the way in which the organising committee has engaged with the public throughout the year in the lead-up to the games and I would hate for what has happened in recent days to overshadow that. However, there are still questions to be answered.
Like many people, I joined the queue for tickets on Monday morning. As members will know, it was one lengthy queue. The website informed me that I would be served on a first-come-first-served basis, but after more than 24 hours in the queue, with very little movement, I was informed by other people that they had received tickets despite only being in the queue for three hours. I and others who were in the same position would like to know why that was the case. Many questions remain unanswered and I hope that the responses will be forthcoming. However, as I have said, the situation should not overshadow the event itself, and I look forward to the games in Glasgow and Motherwell later in the summer.
As other members have reflected, homecoming Scotland 2014 will host 837 events over the year. I understand that 265 events have already taken place, including the opening of the Kelpies at the Helix park in Falkirk. Whatever view we take of the Kelpies, it is certainly true that they provide a talking point.
That was only one of the many events that will take place across central Scotland with the help of VisitScotland in the coming months. This weekend, your adventure starts here, a festival of museums, will run at Callendar house and park in Falkirk. On 7 June, Shotts will again host its highland games. That event started in 1950. It attracts more than 2,000 people and it includes events such as tossing the caber. If members have not had the chance to experience it yet, I recommend that they do. It is always enjoyable, no matter what the weather conditions.
Those are some of the enjoyable social events that homecoming Scotland brings with it, but a year-long event such as this should bring economic benefits to all communities across Scotland. I wonder how we will measure the success or otherwise of this year-long event. Will the measure be the numbers of people who are attracted to each individual event from home and abroad, the number of successful events held, or the long-term job opportunities that individuals are afforded as part of the legacy?
Many will say that its success will be down to all those things, and more, and I agree with that to a certain extent. However, we will miss a great opportunity if we do not use homecoming Scotland to bring economic benefit to individuals who are trying to secure employment in the current economic climate. As members might be aware, homecoming Scotland 2009 gave us 1,500 full-time equivalent employment opportunities. That was a substantial number, but I hope that we can see an increase on that five years later, and that employment opportunities will be sustainable.
I am sure that we all agree that tourism has a large role to play in job opportunities. We know that the food and drink industry is seen as a key economic growth area and is vital to the success of homecoming Scotland 2014. However, it might surprise members to know that, according to the Audit Scotland report on modern apprenticeships of March 2014, just over 1,000 apprenticeships were granted in that sector, which is fewer than were granted in the automotive and administration and related sectors, which have not been identified as key sectors. From that report, I also understand that those people who secure a hospitality or tourism apprenticeship are more likely to do so at level 2 than at level 3. The reason that has been given for that is that employers consider that to be more appropriate for the job role. I understand that 60 per cent of apprentices in the hospitality sector are doing a level 2 apprenticeship.
Given that, historically, the hospitality sector has been dominated by the female population, we need to do more to encourage employers to see the value in awarding higher level apprenticeships. We need to challenge the gender stereotypes that exist in certain sectors of employment, and I believe that we can do that through the apprenticeship programme. Given that, as the Audit Scotland report makes clear,
“females accounted for 43 per cent of apprenticeship starts but only a third of apprenticeship spending”
of £25.6 million, and given the facts that I have outlined in relation to the hospitality and tourism sector, which according to the Scottish Government is a key growth sector for the Scottish economy, it is imperative that we use homecoming Scotland 2014 as the driving force to challenge that anomaly and to give us a legacy that we can all be proud of.
I respect the member’s concerns about the economy, jobs and so on. Will she join me in welcoming the outstanding employment figures that were published earlier this week, which showed that Scotland is doing better than any other part of the UK?
I do not know whether I would use the word “outstanding”. I appreciate that the situation is better than it was—I always appreciate improvements—but the figures for female employment opportunities were not as good as the others and it is clear that more needs to be done in that respect. I am sure that the member will agree.
As the minister has mentioned, the Barclays report that was published earlier this month shows that Scotland is in line for a tourism boom, with the number of overseas visitors rising faster than in the rest of the UK. We must capitalise on that. The study predicted that spending by overseas visitors will rise by 40 per cent by 2017 and that Scotland could earn a total of £2.3 billion a year from overseas tourism alone. However, I am deeply concerned by the 22.5 per cent fall in domestic tourism last quarter. We need to address that issue, because we should be attracting people from within our own borders, as Ireland managed to do with its successful homecoming.
To achieve the figures mentioned in the Barclays report, we must begin to remove some of the barriers to tourism in Scotland. I have spoken about the issue before in the chamber, but the problem remains. We cannot begin to take tourism seriously until we have an industry that is open for business when we need and want it to be open. Many of the attractions that people might wish to visit in Scotland, particularly those in Lanarkshire, are not open beyond 5 pm, which means that many people who work during the day will not get to enjoy some of the events that will be showcased this year. I hope that that issue can be challenged and addressed for future events.
As I said at the start, I welcome the opportunity to participate in this afternoon’s debate and I look forward to the many events that are still to come to celebrate homecoming Scotland 2014.
15:42
I congratulate VisitScotland on the very impressive and wide-ranging 64-page brochure that it has produced for homecoming 2014. As we have heard, it lists 837 events, not all of which—again as we have heard—have been organised by VisitScotland itself. Of course, we should not be surprised by that, given that VisitScotland is a marketing organisation that markets other people’s activities, hotels, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and events. My view is that, by drawing this wide offering into one package, it is simply multiplying the effect.
As a tourist who has visited more than a quarter of the world’s countries on various occasions over the past 50 years, I can think of similar examples. People who visit Edinburgh go down Rose Street if they want to find something to eat, because it has lots and lots of restaurants. People are attracted by density. When I go to Amsterdam, I always go to Korte Leidsedwarstraat, which has even more restaurants than Rose Street has; in fact, there are 40 different kinds of restaurants off Leidseplein. Drawing things together, which VisitScotland does very successfully, creates the attraction for our many visitors.
Like, I am sure, many others in the chamber, I have relatives all around the world. My great-great-grandfather Archibald Stewart, who was born in Bannockburn in 1778, emigrated to Canada in 1853 after he was widowed, taking most of his family with him. Thanks to an act of breathtakingly successful fecundity, I now have 500 living relatives in Canada and the United States who stem from that migration of my great-great-grandfather and his offspring. They come back to Scotland and I encourage them so to do. Every one of us has similar opportunities that have been created by the wanderlust and fecundity of the Scots and I encourage people to use them.
In the modern world, things have moved on a little. In 1870, my great-great-grandfather received a letter from one of his offspring, who was still in Bannockburn, to tell him of the death of a family member; now, we have the electronic world. This week alone, using Facebook, I have communicated with relatives who live in Australia, South Africa, England and Denmark. The way in which we connect and the immediacy of connection are different.
Because of such communication, I can tell members that Emma, who is the sister-in-law of one of my nieces, drove with four of her pals all the way up from the south of England to be there when the Kelpies were opened. That is a bit of domestic tourism; the Kelpies are already successful in my family. That hardly illustrates the overall general point—I cannot and will not attempt to do that—but it shows that there is an associated draw.
Does the member agree that Emma has perhaps bucked the trend? Perhaps the number of domestic visits would have decreased by 25 per cent if it had not been for her visit.
Let us have a little talk about international and domestic tourism. International tourism is generally based on relatively long lead times for booking, so variations in it are comparatively modest and are more in the long run. The average number of nights that a domestic tourist stays for is less than four. Such visits are opportunistic and are booked at short notice. They are highly influenced by the weather—if the weather is not good, ye dinnae book. They are also influenced by a wide range of issues.
I encourage members to visit the VisitEngland website, where they will find that the graph for domestic tourism in England is pretty similar to that for Scotland. Something is going on, which I cannot and do not pretend to be able to get to the bottom of, that is not unique to Scotland. It probably relates to the fact that the weather wisnae very good in November and December, although I could be entirely wrong and I am happy to be corrected later.
I am encouraged by something that has not been mentioned. I have an interest in genealogy; I have studied the subject for more than 50 years and I have identified 4,365 relatives in my family tree. We are to get the “Who Do You Think You Are? Live” show, which is coming to Glasgow in August. That will draw not just domestic tourists from other parts of the UK but international tourists to meet experts in genealogy, which is one of the great links. Last year, an unknown cousin of my wife appeared from New Zealand, carrying an outline family tree, and spent two months going round Scotland to research graveyards. Even things such as graveyards are tourist attractions.
I have other connections to Bannockburn. My great-grandfather on the Stevenson side was born there. There are no records of that—he managed to escape the parish registration system, so he was difficult for me to track down. In 1841, 308 Stevensons were living in Bannockburn, and I do not think that they were all my relatives. There were also more than 100 Stewarts; that is the name of the other side of my family.
One of my great-grandfather’s offspring was responsible for the Bruce and Wallace statues that are at either side of the entrance to Edinburgh castle. He unveiled them in 1929 and they are tourist attractions to this day.
I will give a local example—the Scottish traditional boat festival in Portsoy in my constituency. Perhaps 20,000 people go to that town of not much more than 1,000 people. The 21st run will take place this year, and I know from previous visits that people come from Australia, South Africa and America to the event. I am deeply disappointed that the minister’s motion makes no reference to the Portsoy traditional boat festival, which is a hugely important economic event for the north of Scotland that also exhibits food and drink. Glenglassaugh distillery is just next door, so Bruce Crawford would be pleased. It is a wonderful event, as members will see from the television coverage that will be broadcast around the world. It is but one of the many examples that we can all come up with.
Picking up on what Jenny Marra said earlier about the relationship between Scotland and England, I will quote from Ludovic Kennedy’s autobiography. He said that, on independence,
“England would lose a surly lodger and gain a good neighbour”.
I am absolutely certain that that is the case.
Many thanks—a vintage performance.
15:50
This year, 2014, is the most exciting in our history. As well as the political events that are taking place, many other events will be happening, as we have heard. They include the Commonwealth games, the Ryder cup, the MTV Europe awards, the John Muir festival and armed forces day. There are also a huge amount of other events that take place annually, which certainly helps our tourism offering to the external and internal markets.
One thing is for certain: the eyes of the world are on Scotland this year. Homecoming Scotland 2014 and its offering add even more to the opportunities that are available for Scotland. For me, homecoming 2014 is yet another excellent initiative. It will help the Scottish economy and our confidence and self-esteem. I offer my congratulations to everyone who is involved in it.
I am a glass-half-full type of person, and I know that many other members in the chamber are of the same ilk. I am sure that if any of them had the misfortune, as I did, to listen to the radio this morning when the Commonwealth games ticketing situation was being discussed, their glass would not have been half full; it would have been totally empty. It was dreadful—it was so negative, and the issue was blown so far out of proportion. It is clear that there is an issue, but what an issue to have: a huge demand for tickets. There are extra tickets, and they are so popular that the system cannot cope. I dare say that, if the system did not break down and tickets were left, there would have been complaints that they were too expensive or inaccessible, and that the whole thing was a waste of time, energy and money.
We must get the ticketing issue into perspective. We are talking about buying tickets, not a life or death situation. When we consider events that are happening elsewhere in Europe and worldwide, it is clear that this is only a ticketing situation. A wise man in the lift as I came into the Parliament this morning told me all about putting events into perspective, and I agree with him.
The Commonwealth games will be a huge success. The games are attracting people from across the globe, and many of them will be coming back to their ancestral home, so in effect the games are going to be their homecoming. Let us support the games, and not talk them down before they have even started.
There are a few homecoming events that I am particularly looking forward to. Some of them are taking place on the River Clyde. One of them is the homecoming muster and Commonwealth flotilla. As members will be aware, I chair the Parliament’s cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism, and we discussed the event more than a year ago. We certainly put our support behind it, and work has started in earnest to make it happen. I put on record today my thanks and congratulations to all those, including all the organisations, who have been involved in taking the event forward. I am sure that it will be a huge success and one of the iconic events of the year. It will be, if members will pardon the pun, a sea of colour, and it is one of the many offerings that will show off the Clyde.
I invite members to get down to the banks of the Clyde on Saturday 26 July to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The event starts at the James Watt dock in Greenock, and the flotilla then heads up to Glasgow. The Royal Yachting Association Scotland’s website says:
“The largest flotilla in the Clyde's history. 250 boats. One mission. Many journeys of adventure and exploration. You can be part of it and make history.”
I am delighted that the event is part of homecoming Scotland 2014. It will certainly bring another water-based activity to the Commonwealth games.
A further event is the race to the games. Once again, it is based on the River Clyde, and it starts at the James Watt dock in Greenock. It is a sailing challenge for people with additional support needs, and it takes place on 2 July.
Later in the year is the annual Scotland’s boat show. It will take place at the Kip marina from 10 to 12 October. I have been told about some of the new events that will be introduced at the boat show this year, and I am sure that it will be bigger and better than before. I have been to it, and I would encourage everyone to go along to it.
There is a further event that I am looking forward to that is not water based. It will take place at Finlaystone, the home of clan MacMillan, so perhaps I should declare an interest. It is the Braveheart v Robin Hood event. It is aimed at children up to 12 years of age. I am sure that those of us who are over 12 will also enjoy it and get involved in it. That takes place on 6 July.
Those are just some of the events that are taking place in the west of Scotland. Some of them are water-based events. Many more water-based activities are taking place across Scotland, and certainly in the west. Anyone who goes to Loch Lomond on any given day will take pleasure from it.
We have already heard about the hugely positive comments about Scotland from CNN, Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Trip Advisor. I will quote just part of the comments by Lonely Planet:
“To coincide with Glasgow hosting the XX Commonwealth Games in the summer of 2014, the city has had a multi-million-pound facelift: new sports venues, improved transport links and a regeneration of Glasgow Harbour. It is also the Year of Homecoming, a government initiative to welcome the Scottish diaspora back to the mother country by celebrating Scotland’s heritage, food and drink. The phrase ‘there’s something for everyone’ applies”.
I think that that is hugely positive. It is a great opportunity.
I encourage Hanzala Malik to speak to his colleagues in Glasgow City Council. Judging from his speech, he needs to talk to them about what has actually happened in Glasgow to ensure that the Commonwealth games will be a huge success.
I turn now to Jenny Marra’s comments. I, too, was born in England—in Barrow-in-Furness. I have family and friends who still stay down south. I genuinely do not recognise the negativity about our friends south of the border. The interest from folk south of the border suggests the exact opposite. Any time I speak to my family and friends, they want to know about what is going on in Scotland, not just in relation to the political debate but also about other things that are going on.
On Sunday, I was at the Gourock highland games. I spoke to two ladies from Lancashire. They have lived in Scotland for some time now, and they mentioned that their family are looking forward to coming up over the summer. They said that they are looking forward to voting yes in the referendum. For them, it will make England that bit better, and it will hopefully make the people of Lancashire a bit better off, because it will force the politicians in that area to do a bit more for their constituents.
I hope that this year, 2014, is a huge year for Scotland. As I said earlier, the eyes of the world are upon us. Homecoming will deliver hugely for Scotland. With more than 800 events across the country, large and small, in urban locations and in rural locations, including the Borders, homecoming has something for everyone. It has something for the whole nation. I am convinced that it will help to promote Scotland well beyond our shores and long after 2014.
15:58
This great year of homecoming in fact began in October 2013, when Lonely Planet came out with those comments that have already been mentioned. Lonely Planet called us the third best country in the world to visit. Interestingly, alongside that article, it also had a list of the regions and areas within countries that were best to visit. Perhaps Lonely Planet has continued its reputation of always being ahead of the times and knowing what the next big thing is going to be. I, for one, was grateful for that little inclusion, alongside other independent countries and, indeed, Antarctica.
This homecoming has been a broad exercise in bringing together some things that had already been scheduled and that were already happening or always happening and putting them together with a brand that can be marketed both domestically and internationally.
Back in the run-up to the 2009 homecoming, the criticism was that we were focusing too much on the domestic market and not bringing enough people from abroad. It seems like we cannot win, but sometimes that is the feeling that we get in the chamber. The 2009 homecoming had 411 events. I was taken aback when Mike Cantlay came to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee and said, in a way that summed up his attitude, that we were at 827 and “about to stop counting.” The impression that was given was that we could have kept on going, but at some point VisitScotland had to draw the line and say, “This is homecoming.” It is no wonder that funding opportunities have been massively oversubscribed and that there has been reach throughout the Scottish Enterprise network.
The homecoming idea is such a neat way of packaging a country for the international market that we got the highest form of flattery—imitation—from Ireland, which in 2011 announced that 2013 was going to be its year of the gathering. Ireland took our idea and ran with it—as it so often does in tourism—and got 250,000 extra international visitors. We should all listen to the words that the junior minister for tourism said at the launch of that event. He pointed to his green tie and stated:
“We all need to wear the green jersey now.”
Everybody in this chamber should be wearing the blue jersey on behalf of Scotland in relation to homecoming, so that we can promote ourselves as a nation and as a destination.
I accidentally found myself in Ireland in October 2013—well, I did not accidentally find myself there; I had planned to go to Ireland in 2013 and was there in October. When I was there, somebody came up to me with a survey. Having myself knocked on a few doors and tried to get people to speak, I made sure that I did my duty to these people, so I did the survey. However, I also did my duty to Scotland as a competitor nation by ticking the box next to the statement that the gathering had no impact on my decision to go to Ireland, so I am not one of the 250,000.
To bring us back from Dublin to here, the spatial dimensions have been mentioned. Events are happening in Edinburgh and around Scotland—including the Borders. The homecoming search on the VisitScotland website finds 56 events within 2 miles of here. I point out that the one thing that Edinburgh is not doing terribly well on is that, of all the clan gatherings that are taking place this year, only two are in Edinburgh: Strachan and Marjoribanks. The last time that I checked, clan Biagi was not gathering anywhere, but I think that that may be for another reason.
I have seen their tartan. [Laughter.]
Order, please.
The member who is making a contribution from a sedentary position should note that my tartan is pink through and through. [Laughter.]
The gathering 2009 is something that has produced some cringing memories that echo back to the footage of the people coming down the royal mile and everybody watching it and thinking, “Oooh”.
The member might be interested to know that in the 1841 census there were no Biagis in Scotland whatsoever.
Indeed, because my first ancestor showed up in the 1891 census. Mr Stevenson is not the only one who has researched his family history.
The gathering brought 47,000 visitors and £8.8 million in contribution to Edinburgh, 38 per cent of which came from overseas. For all that we might look at some of the more enthusiastic pronouncements of some of the Americans who came here, I do not think that there is a constituency anywhere in the country—whether in the Borders or Inverclyde or Stirling—that would say no to such an event if it could be repeated.
Edinburgh has a great series of events. I recommend to Bruce Crawford, who was ill for his own whisky event, world whisky day, which is being held in Edinburgh. There is Previously, Scotland’s history festival, which I have participated in; the Edinburgh fringe, the largest of its kind in the world bar none, which I have participated in three times; the Edinburgh marathon, which I have participated in but will not be participating in this year—
I am intrigued. What was your participation in the fringe? What were you doing?
Through the chair, please.
I believe that the member should consult the assistant to Jean Urquhart, who will be able to tell her all. It involved a satirical news programme.
The last thing that I want to highlight is the MTV awards. That takes me slightly outside Edinburgh, although there is an Edinburgh connection because, in 2003, the awards were held in the city. At that time, I looked at them and wondered whether they would be a sign that I was getting old, and whether I would be completely dated by them. However, that was not the case, as the winners were Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera—people who are not only still around but who I have heard of and even have some songs by. That is an additional angle of homecoming for me—it has reassured me that I am not getting old.
That brings me to Siobhan McMahon, who has told the chamber that she will be turning 30 this year. She tried to say that her birthday was a date that none of us would be marking. However, a quick Google search found that her birthday is on 4 July, which many people in Scotland—mainly Americans—will be celebrating. I find it wonderfully ironic that that is independence day.
16:06
I begin my remarks today by paying tribute to all those who will be working to make sure that this homecoming year is a successful one for Scotland. The tourism, hospitality and cultural sectors all contribute to the growth of the Scottish economy and, this year, with the Commonwealth games, the Ryder cup and the MTV Europe music awards all coming to Scotland, those workers will play a crucial role in shaping the experience of our country that foreign visitors have. In fact, everyone a foreign visitor meets will mould and form that experience of Scotland, whether they realise it or not—from cab drivers and cashiers to police constables and passers-by.
However, I want to draw Parliament’s attention to the people at the front line in those growth industries. The customer service, language and management skills of the people who work in our visitor attractions and the hospitality sector are key to the success of Scottish tourism, especially if we are to enjoy the benefits of repeat tourism. However, despite their importance to the economy, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that the majority of employees in the hotel and restaurant sector and the retail sector earn less than £7 an hour. Together, those sectors account for almost half of all those earning less than £7 per hour, and many of those low-paid workers will be women.
Mr Johnstone, I would be grateful if you could return to your seat.
Of course, it is important to stress that there is also mobility in those sectors. My background is in training, and I trained people in retail and hospitality for years. I can tell you from experience that an entry-level job in those sectors can and often does lead to further training, skills enhancement and career progression. However, we cannot ignore the concentration of low pay in the service sector and in rural communities that are dependent on seasonal tourism and agricultural work.
The year of homecoming will be good for Scotland, but the Government has a duty to ensure that the benefits are shared across the workforce and spread across the country. The Scottish Government has to lead by example.
It has not escaped my notice that a deal between the Public and Commercial Services Union and the business arm of National Museums Scotland was reached only a few weeks ago, which at last ensured a living wage for those workers; nor has it escaped the notice of the Labour Party or the trade union movement that the SNP has twice blocked Labour's progressive amendments to the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill, including, crucially, our living wage amendments.
VisitScotland has helpfully provided members with an overview of the activities that are taking place in our constituencies and regions this year. Tomorrow, in Blantyre, the David Livingstone centre will host a fair trade fair, highlighting Dr Livingstone’s legacy and his enduring links to Africa. This weekend, there will be a celebration of our nature trails and our natural environment at the wild woods festival. On Saturday, we have flash art photography events in museums across North Lanarkshire. Later this year, we will see the Shotts highland games and the rugby league Commonwealth championships. Further, central Scotland has also welcomed the completion of the Kelpies at the Helix park in Falkirk.
I wonder whether the member will agree with me—I suspect that she can and will—that, although all the points that she has made are fine, we are now talking about events that are driven by and run by volunteers, who play a very important part in energising communities and creating some of the events that will create commercial opportunities for others. Volunteers have a big role in this as well.
Volunteers do play a part, but the hospitality and retail sectors work with and welcome the visitors to Scotland as well, and it is those people who are working in a low-pay environment.
There is a rich programme of events taking place this year. However, VisitScotland explains in its briefing to members that many of those events are “partner events” and are not directly supported by the £3 million homecoming fund. We are only halfway through the year of homecoming, but I wonder whether the Scottish Government is yet in a position to outline the value that is being added to the Scottish economy through the projects that it has funded directly.
There has been a great deal of consensus in today’s debate. We are all looking forward to Glasgow 2014, and we all want to make sure that the year of homecoming is good for Scotland and good for Scottish tourism. If I have challenged that consensus this afternoon, it has been simply because I think that it is worth reminding the Government that growth in our economy is asymmetrical. Whatever our constitutional future, the challenge for Scotland is not just to develop those key sectors, but to build a stronger, fairer economy that is better skilled, better paid and better equipped to make Scotland a world-leading destination.
We still have a little time in hand, so the next two speakers can have longer than six minutes each.
16:11
I, too, am pleased to have been called to speak in the debate, which has been a game of two halves. There have been some highly entertaining moments. When you first came into the chamber, Presiding Officer, you may have been a bit surprised at the moment of levity that we were having, but that was nothing compared to what you have missed. I recommend that you read the Official Report.
I have been surprised at the Rev I M Jolly theme that seems to be going on on the part of certain Labour members, who seem to be in competition with each other to be the most negative about our important tourism industry. In contrast, SNP members are full-square behind the homecoming initiative, as are all those who are involved in staging the events.
I am quite appalled and shocked by that characterisation of my question. I asked a serious question that was based on figures that were issued by a Government agency in relation to the current political debate. That is a necessary function of parliamentary democracy. Does the member really want to characterise opposition and legitimate questioning as talking down Scotland? That seems quite preposterous.
In a strange day of strange remarks, I find that remark as strange as Jenny Marra’s first remark. If she reflects on the tone of her comments when we get the Official Report, she will see what we are all getting at. Of course matters of parliamentary democracy are fundamentally important, as is the democratic debate that we are all engaged in throughout this country of Scotland. That debate will be respected by all people across the world, including our fantastic friends and neighbours south of the border, one of whom is coming up to help me to campaign for a yes vote in the week of the poll. I will pass on to her Ms Marra’s concerns that perhaps she should reconsider her decision to come to help the people of Scotland to secure a yes vote in the independence referendum.
The SNP is full-square behind the excellent homecoming initiative, and we take a positive approach in talking up our tourism industry and being supportive of it. That is what the people who elected us to the Parliament want their elected representatives to do.
I am a member for Mid Scotland and Fife, and the importance of tourism to the economy of the area is clear for all to see. I take the opportunity to welcome the excellent news that there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of overseas tourists last year and a 20 per cent increase in spend on the previous year.
Those figures are particularly encouraging as we look to this year’s homecoming initiative. The figures also reflect the very hard work put in by agencies such as VisitScotland and other public bodies, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, which has an important role to play, and the wider tourism industry.
On the activities that are happening in Mid Scotland and Fife, it is perhaps expected of me to mention first the Ryder cup. As a resident of Strathearn, with my home in Comrie, I am pleased to report that excitement is mounting locally. The event offers our local tourism and wider hospitality providers across the Strath and beyond a tremendous opportunity. I know that they are planning to maximise, to the extent that they can, the benefits to be derived from that fantastic event.
When I spoke in the debate on the Ryder cup that we held in the chamber last September, I mentioned the need to ensure that local access is facilitated not only for those seeking to enjoy the events at Gleneagles but for those travelling around Strathearn generally. I understand that the transport issues have been kept under regular review and that the provision of local shuttle buses has been agreed, which is welcome. Local dialogue on transport and other issues is on-going and that, too, is to be welcomed.
A key aspect of the fantastic opportunity presented by the hosting of the Ryder cup concerns the legacy that can be secured, and the decision to nominate two local charities in that regard was also welcomed locally. The other key legacy is the education resource that is to be made available to all pupils and teachers in Scotland, which is to be linked with the excellent clubgolf initiative.
We have the fantastic Ryder cup event later this year, but of course the homecoming 2014 programme seeks to ensure that the benefits of hosting that and other fantastic events, such as the Commonwealth games, are extended, experienced and secured throughout Scotland. A huge array of projects are taking place in Mid Scotland and Fife—I think that the programme runs to 26 pages of events—and I have time to mention a few.
The first that I will mention is the signature event—the Forth bridges festival, which will celebrate the iconic Forth bridges, mark the 50th anniversary of the Forth road bridge’s opening, recognise the upcoming 125th anniversary of the Forth rail bridge and look to the future and the new Forth crossing. The festival will be held in early September, with a 10-day programme of events, including a birthday boat flotilla. Therefore, what can be done on the west coast, as my colleague Stuart McMillan mentioned, can also be done on the east coast. A torchlight procession is planned as well as a light and firework show. It all sounds very exciting.
In Mid Scotland and Fife, we, too, are participating in whisky month. The establishment of the highland Perthshire whisky festival has brought together Birnam arts, the Birks cinema and the Pitlochry Festival Theatre to put on a series of events around the theme of whisky month, including a new production of the musical, “Whisky Kisses”.
The Ochils festival in June includes walks, tours of historic kirkyards, as referenced by Stewart Stevenson, family fun days and the revival of the tartan ball, which was first held in the 1840s, when the intention was to inject some life into the local textile industry.
We will see a diverse range of activities across Mid Scotland and Fife. We must pay tribute to the tremendous hard work that goes on behind the scenes for each and every one of the interesting, dynamic, creative, inclusive and attractive events that will take place.
We could perhaps do better with regard to overseas visitor numbers if we had control over air passenger duty, for example. With control in this Parliament, the rate of air passenger duty would not be sky high, as it was under the previous Labour Government—before it was ratcheted up by the Tory Government, supported by its Liberal helpers, who have not bothered to turn up to this important tourism debate.
It is clear that that power and all the other usual economic levers of power that we would have in an independent Scotland would help to boost our tourism industry and secure the full potential of that and other industries across the piece. I also suggest that the referendum process, together with the yes vote that I believe will be the result, will in and of themselves generate substantial interest in Scotland and increase the tourism spend and dividend here.
16:19
I am grateful to the Presiding Officer for bringing to my attention the fact that my request-to-speak button had switched off. That was probably due to my earlier intervention.
In his opening few sentences, the minister mentioned the words “opportunity” and “glue”. The opportunities of homecoming provide the glue for many events that happen annually. I say gently to Hanzala Malik, for whom I have a great deal of respect, that if we can give something that happens annually in a local area some oomph this year, we should. If homecoming Scotland wants to take credit for some of the events and VisitScotland wants to be the vehicle for that, we should applaud that, not criticise it.
My area has not been mentioned, although the Borders have probably been mentioned at least 12 times. I am surpried that Alex Johnstone, who lives in Stonehaven, did not take the opportunity to mention aspects of what is going on in Aberdeenshire West. The fireball ceremony has been an amazing success for hogmanay parties in Stonehaven. Many things are going on in the constituency, which is the home of 12 castles and a royal palace. In some respects, royal Deeside sells itself, but does it need VisitScotland or homecoming? Yes it does: although it can sell itself, it benefits from the year of homecoming.
When I was at the Ballater highland games last year, I spoke to the chief of clan Farquharson and met people from New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and East Kilbride. [Laughter.] I met people from all parts of the UK and Europe. It intrigued me that there was a clan gathering—a gathering of people; a homecoming—in the small community of Ballater in royal Deeside. I am sure that, in 2014, the Farquharson clan will come back again in greater numbers.
Of course, the Farquharsons are not the only clan who have an association with my constituency—we also have the Irvines at Drum castle, which was gifted by Robert the Bruce to the Irvines of the time. The tower at Drum will be reopened in August this year. That is another fantastic event that will bring together our communities in a celebration of our heritage and culture. Indeed, we have an opportunity to celebrate heritage and culture with peoples coming together from all over. The invitation will not only bring people from the UK, Europe and all over the globe but excite people about what is happening.
I hope that the sun will shine on Siobhan McMahon’s 30th birthday. A black cloud seems to be looming over the Labour Party at the moment and I sincerely hope that it does not burst and rain on her parade on the day.
There are three distilleries in my constituency and although I have been to all three, I hope to celebrate again by revisiting them this year. The Royal Lochnagar distillery at Braemar is perhaps the best known. It is a favourite of Prince Charles, who likes his Royal Lochnagar whisky and who has visited the distillery on more than one occasion.
I sincerely hope that the royals will continue to come to royal Deeside and will remain part of the culture and heritage of that great area. It was in 1850, I believe, that Queen Victoria gifted Balmoral castle to Prince Albert, having come to her first highland games in 1848.
What else is going on in my constituency? In late August up in our small market town of Huntly, there will be a fantastic massing of the pipes and drums to celebrate the clan Gordon, one of the wonderful traditional clans of Scotland. The Gordons are probably known globally not just for their name, but for their fighting spirit. We will enjoy that event. I sincerely hope that the Pipefest that will be held just prior to the celebrations at Bannockburn goes extremely well, but I say to my friend and colleague Bruce Crawford that, if he wants to hear the real pipes and drums of Scotland and the tunes of our nation, he should come to Huntly. That is the place to come to.
The minister has been to my constituency many times and has visited many of the traditional attractions. My area has a wealth of food and drink. The fishing industry on royal Deeside, which last year brought about £15 million to the local community, provides jobs for about 500 people. Our estates provide employment and sustainability. They also offer an open door, and that is what we should be celebrating in our homecoming: an open door to everyone who wishes to come to Scotland.
I am proud of Scotland, I am proud to be an Aberdonian and I am proud that I have had the opportunity to travel to and work in many areas of this great nation. As I listened to Stuart McMillan talking about the events on the Clyde, I was taken back to my many sailing days on the Clyde, which is a wonderful place to be. In my scouting days, I spent many a day camping and going to hostels in Melrose and Jedburgh in the Borders. There was an open door.
The homecoming is not just about the big events such as the Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup. This year, the Scottish open is to be held at Royal Aberdeen, which will generate income for Aberdeen and the surrounding areas. Aberdeen airport is being refurbished. Why is that happening? It is happening because people are coming to Scotland. We have had to invest in and expand our provision. That is what Scotland’s open door is about.
Delightful though the member’s speech is, I would like to ask a serious question: has he ever had trouble accessing any of the places that he has mentioned? I am really asking that on behalf of Mr Q.
Could you begin to draw to a close please, Mr Robertson?
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
I have had absolutely no difficulty accessing many of our wonderful hostels and heritage sites, although I know that there are some places where that can be a problem. Through the work of organisations such as VisitScotland and the NTS, everything has been done to try to make venues accessible. The Commonwealth games will be a wonderful example of full accessibility for everyone, regardless of whether they are able or disabled.
Scotland is the place to come in 2014.
We come to the closing speeches.
16:29
Perhaps not surprisingly, several members have cited 2014 as the most important year in Scotland’s history, and that is not just because of the constitutional issue. The debate is not about whether people will vote no or yes; for me, it is a real privilege to be Scottish in this year and we can all rejoice in the fact that the Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup are coming to Scotland, regardless of how we vote when it comes to party politics. The fact that they can mix with our long-standing fixtures across the calendar is very special.
Dennis Robertson has encouraged us all to say something about our local communities. I will add the Perth show to the list, because it has done something very special for a very long time, and I know that it looks forward to the second year of homecoming.
Homecoming presents an opportunity to highlight the many diverse events that take place across the nation annually, which add to our very considerable privilege in our culture, sport, arts, agriculture, environment and hospitality, which is so special. The fact that we have added value this year is something that we should celebrate. There is no problem in being positive about this year.
I welcome Dennis Robertson’s comments about the royal family, because again that is something that transcends party-political differences.
The potential benefits to the Scottish economy are significant in the ways that many members have described. Annabelle Ewing mentioned the excitement building about the Ryder cup, which is due to bring in somewhere in the region of £100 million, as visitors flock from all parts of the globe to experience golf on one of the best courses in the world. It is estimated that the competition will be viewed on television by hundreds of millions of potential visitors worldwide, so it cannot but be one of the best advertising opportunities for Scotland. Let us hope that the Scottish weather presents Scotland at its best—not like it did at the 38th Ryder cup, which was held at Celtic Manor.
Is Liz Smith aware that, paradoxically, there are tourists who come from the middle east precisely because of the lush, damp climate that we have in Scotland?
Dare I ask Mr Stevenson if their surname is the same as his own?
Homecoming has presented a very welcome umbrella for showcasing a vast programme of events, with more than 800 taking place the length and breadth of Scotland. Two members made important remarks about the welcome profile for more rural and local economies, as well as the nation. We must not forget those things, as they are the heart and soul of many of our local communities, as are the volunteers—Stewart Stevenson, I think, mentioned volunteers—with the imagination and creativity that they provide.
Let us be clear: the criterion by which many people will probably judge the year of homecoming is how many people it attracts from outwith the United Kingdom—whether or not they share the name Stevenson. That, I am sure, will be of great interest to the people who decide whether homecoming has been a success or not.
Bruce Crawford mentioned, quite rightly, the new facilities at Bannockburn, which are on a par with anything around the world: they are absolutely outstanding. I am sure that the Bannockburn live event, which will incorporate the re-enactment of the battle, will bring in large numbers. They may not be quite the numbers that were originally anticipated, but let us be sure that we can celebrate everything that is so very special about the new centre.
Both the minister and Siobhan McMahon talked about tourism in general, which is extremely important. I have just one little criticism—and I do not want to be shouted down for being party political, because this is not a party-political point—about tourist information centres. I know that the minister has an interest in this issue, because he has kindly replied to me on it on two occasions. We are in danger of losing tourist information centres in quite a number of places. I know that there are technological reasons for that, and the minister has quite rightly said that consumer demand is changing in that respect. I accept that, but I worry—and I am sure that Annabelle Ewing will share my view—that areas such as Crieff are losing their tourist information centres at the very time that the Scottish Government’s business improvement district policy is coming into place. Many businesses and people who run hotels and bed and breakfasts in Crieff are concerned about the long-term implications.
We have lessons to learn from Switzerland and Austria, which could not be more modern when it comes to technology but which have also been able to retain their tourist information offices. The human touch is so much part of the Scottish welcome and we must be careful not to lose too many tourist information centres.
I fully appreciate that economies of scale can result from tourist hubs in more urban areas, but we must listen to the many people who are talking about business development outside the central belt and who welcome the input of tourist information centres. I hope that the minister can say something about that in his closing remarks, because we need to look carefully at it in future.
To conclude, I return to my original remarks about the positivity that we need to show this year. It is a special year for Scotland. Politics aside, we can all be positive about that message and we all have a role to play in helping our local communities and the national profile to develop. I hope that politics does not get in the way of that, because that would diminish Scotland. We should celebrate what we have to offer as a nation.
The Conservatives are happy to support the Government motion and also the Labour amendment.
16:36
This has largely been a good debate, and there is a lot of good will and optimism around 2014, the year of homecoming, with the homecoming events, the Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games. We all want to see Scotland flourish on the international stage, and we all know how wonderful our country is as a place to visit and to live and work in.
I believe that the homecoming and the events of this year can be about much more than simply putting on a show. Our investment can draw dividends in our communities, and that is why Labour has lodged an amendment to the motion. I thank the Conservatives for indicating that they are happy to support the amendment.
Investment can help our economy to recover, with a long-term boost to a sector that has the potential to boom exponentially, but in order to achieve that we must be smart about the policies that we pursue. My only disappointment in this afternoon’s debate is that we have not been a bit more focused on strategic investment, on growing our tourism economy and on the policies that we pursue to do that. I understand that the debate celebrates the homecoming events, but we have a responsibility to take every opportunity to look at the potential of those events to create growth for the future and to share ideas about how we can increase employment, grow our economy and grow business.
We need to be smart about the policies that we pursue, and we have to ensure that all events taking place, especially major events such as the Commonwealth games, are delivered successfully. That is in everyone’s interests.
Jenny Marra has talked about being smart, taking responsibility, boosting tourism and using everything that we have at our disposal. Does she therefore share my disappointment that in the recent Labour offer for the referendum and for increased powers for this Parliament the devolution of air passenger duty was not one of the things that Labour felt that we should have power over?
It was not in the devolution commission document because we think that it is one of the things on which it is better to share risk and responsibility with the rest of the United Kingdom. I take the opportunity to say to Annabelle Ewing and other members that I may be small but I am one of the biggest patriots in the chamber, and I have always—
Here ye go again, hen.
Order, please.
If Christine Grahame would let me finish my point, I would like to tell her that I have always felt that our place as a nation within a larger political and social union is a mature and constructive one. I am happy to celebrate and shout for Scotland at every opportunity, within that sensible political and economic structure. That is the position from which I approach the debate. [Interruption.] If Annabelle Ewing will allow me, I will turn to some of the systemic issues that can grow our industry, although I am happy to take another intervention from her, if she wishes.
I am most grateful, because I hear what the member says, but none of it really related to my question, which was: why, if the member is so in favour of boosting the Scottish tourism industry, is she not in favour of the Parliament controlling air passenger duty? Obviously, we would seek to reduce the skyrocketing rates that are stymieing our tourism industry.
It is simply because I believe that it is better if we share the policy with the rest of the United Kingdom and there is parity across these islands. I hope that that is clear enough for the member.
Will the member take an intervention?
I will take one last intervention on that point.
The member says that, in her view, APD should not be devolved to the Parliament because there should be a single unified policy across the UK. Why is it the case, then, that APD is devolved to Northern Ireland?
Annabelle Ewing asked about the devolution commission proposals, and I clarified that for her. We can discuss air passenger duty and other proposals another time—perhaps after the result on 18 September.
If I may, I would like to return to the strategic issues for the tourism industry and homecoming. We know that the rate of youth unemployment in Scotland is persistently around 22 per cent, which is a problem that is shared with England and other economies in the European Union. I think that all members would agree that the figure is far too high. Tackling youth unemployment should be at the heart of every economic policy and event that the Government pursues, and the Commonwealth games are no different. We have heard about the surge in visitors to Scotland for the games and the potential boost for our services, hospitality and logistics sectors, yet I am concerned that we have not done enough to secure an advantage for our young people through employment and apprenticeships.
The skills investment plan details key levers such as modern apprenticeships that can be used to link young people into the tourism sector and to help fill the skills gap that some employers perceive there to be. However, I hear from providers that Skills Development Scotland is reducing funding in those areas, in a move that seems to directly undermine its ambition and what appears to be a good opportunity to get young people into jobs. I reiterate the call that I made in my opening speech for the minister to address that specific point in his closing remarks.
I turn to some of the points that have been made in the debate. My colleagues Siobhan McMahon and Margaret McCulloch echoed my priorities on the topic in talking about higher levels of modern apprenticeships and addressing the challenges for female employment, which is predominant in the hospitality sector. Those challenges include low wages—many female workers in the sector would welcome the living wage—and zero-hours contracts. I hope that those issues are live in the debate.
Our hospitality sector in Scotland must aspire to excellence across the board. We have wonderful examples in Scotland of outstanding hotels and service, but I would like the Scottish tourism industry to aspire to those standards right across the board, including in budget and mid-sector accommodation. In a recent meeting with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, I put it to the chief executive that, although the Highlands has many good five-star and high-end accommodation and hospitality offers, there are not so many budget and mid-sector options. That might be one of the reasons why internal UK tourism figures are not quite as good as we would like them to be.
I wonder whether the member is doing down some of our entry-level attractions. When I go to the west coast I always stop at the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum. It is a bus-party cafe, which aspires to the highest standards and has excellent staff.
It absolutely does. I am a frequent visitor to the Green Welly Stop shop and cafe on my hillwalking expeditions up north. I am not doing down anyone or anything; I am merely suggesting that if we are to boost tourism so that it grows in the way that Deloitte and Barclays have predicted—Barclays predicted 40 per cent growth—we must aspire to the highest standards of service and good accommodation across the sector for all budgets. That will attract more and more tourists. That is a perfectly plain point, and I hope that the member understands that I am not doing down anyone.
We must look at transport links in our country. I recently pursued a campaign on fares to Dundee, where the V and A will open in the next few years, because rail fares to the city were very high. Alex Salmond managed to sort out a bit of that, but not all of it. We need to look at integrating our fares structure and we should carefully consider the price of travel within Scotland, because there is internal tourism in Scotland. Members who have been lucky enough to visit Italy, as I have been, will know that it is far cheaper to get round that country on buses and trains than it is to get round Scotland. If we are serious about domestic tourism, we need to address the issue.
The homecoming events and the gathering are valuable events. In my experience, the participatory sporting events that are put on in Scotland are some of the most simple and effective ways of boosting our economy. I was at the etape Loch Ness a couple of weekends ago—I was not participating—and the event’s drive to bring people and spending into the community and the hotels and restaurants of Inverness was plain to see. If we encourage a sporting ethos throughout the country, it will be good for the health of our nation as well as for tourism.
I would be grateful if you could draw to a conclusion.
Okay. Thank you, Presiding Officer.
This has been a constructive debate. We need to think more about some of the strategic issues to do with employment and excellence in our hospitality industry. I commend the amendment in my name.
16:48
This debate has not been without revelations. We were all pleased to be able to congratulate Siobhan McMahon on her impending 30th birthday. We heard Christine Grahame and Bruce Crawford agree to some sort of impromptu double date, which I hope that they both enjoy—it will certainly not be boring.
We learned that Stewart Stevenson has no fewer than 500 relatives, who are spread across Canada and the USA, and that there are 3,465 Stevensons across the world, which made me wonder whether I should ask VisitScotland to concentrate a specific marketing effort on a world gathering of Stevensons. We were sad, however, to hear that there is an alarming insufficiency of Biagis. A few more Biagis might act as a counterweight to a surfeit of Stevensons.
I was pleased to learn that Jenny Marra went to the etape Loch Ness. I hope that she had a sighting of the Loch Ness monster. I will refer only once to the referendum in this speech, to say that I know all about Nessie’s voting intentions in the referendum. Nessie is, of course, a floating voter.
Members: Oh dear.
With that controversial moment past, I would like to address some of the serious comments that have been made. Most of our remarks have been designed to address, celebrate and promote the homecoming, but a number of important issues have been raised and I want to address them all briefly. If I fail to do so comprehensively, I am happy to write to members, as is my universal practice.
Mr Malik asked what efforts we have made to ensure that, during this homecoming year, we reach out to minority communities in Scotland. Fiona Hyslop has come to listen to the closing speeches; she has made sterling efforts in working with the black and ethnic minority communities to develop a whole series of events. We have had the Edinburgh mela as part of homecoming Scotland, as well as the Glasgow mela. Culture and cocktails was a pop-up event that celebrated African and black communities in Aberdeen. Next month, refugee week Scotland, a week-long festival of arts, culture, sport and heritage will celebrate the contributions that refugees make to Scotland. I am proud that my colleague Fiona Hyslop and others have been arranging these events. I think that we all are; how can we welcome others if we do not welcome those from other countries who take refuge in Scotland?
I remarked in my speech that so many of these activities would have taken place anyway. [Interruption.] I need members to bear with me; I have obviously failed to make my point. When we engage with the visible minority communities, I do not want us just to do it at the mela or other local functions when people get together, have a dance, have pakoras, and then go home. I also want us to engage with our cousins overseas in New Zealand and Canada and various other places. That is not happening; it is missing. Getting together with people from visible minority communities is one goal, but mixing with host indigenous communities and our cousins from overseas is another field altogether.
I must hurry you along, Mr Malik.
The other point that I was making was that these communities have aspirations for employment and other opportunities, but they are missing. That is not happening.
I was seeking to address the slightly negative flavour of some of the remarks that Mr Malik made in his opening speech, because a lot of effort has been made. We all recognise that we want to do more. Which of us MSPs does not think that we should do more for Scotland? Of course we think that, but a lot has been done. I do not have time to read out all the additional events because there are too many, but I want to say that Fiona Hyslop recently launched the multicultural homecoming programme at the University of Glasgow. We have sought to do good things and, of course, we want to do more.
Mr Malik made a point about claiming credit for others’ efforts. Part of homecoming is about putting a brand on Scotland and making it exciting and appealing to other countries in the world. It is about making us a go-to place. That is precisely why CNN voted Scotland as the top country in the world to visit. When I heard that at the beginning of last year, I wondered why, and what CNN’s reasoning was. That interested me particularly, apart from the accolade itself, which was marvellous. I got hold of CNN’s article, which said that in deciding that Scotland is the best country in the world to visit, it took into account VisitScotland’s excellent marketing, particularly the themed years, and that the branding of events with that imprimatur adds to the attraction.
Will the minister give way?
I will give way when I have dealt with this point. The credit for existing events of course goes to those who run those events, but I agree with Ronald Reagan who said that it is amazing what one can achieve if one does not mind who gets the credit.
Given CNN’s decision to promote Scotland in that way, could it have Stevensons on the staff?
It is unlikely that there is an absence of Stevensons.
Jenny Marra made a point about the slight reduction in the number of domestic visitors to Scotland from south of the border. The position is complex and I do not have time to go into all the aspects but, as Ms Marra will recall, I said in my opening speech that the latest figures for 2013 show that residents of England took 10 per cent more short breaks in Scotland than they did in 2012 and that the number of residents of England who took longer holidays in Scotland increased by 4 per cent between 2012 and 2013.
Those comparisons are over a whole year and it is reasonable to say that if someone picks one particular quarter, they are perhaps likely to get a less complete picture than if they measure things over a longer period. However, Mr Stevenson’s point was also correct—namely, that where there has been a reduction in domestic tourists in Scotland, it appears that there has been a counterpart reduction south of the border, broadly speaking, if we take everything into account. To ascribe a political motivation to the visitor figures is unfortunate because there does not seem to be any evidential basis for that.
I was struck by the contrasting tone of Elizabeth Smith’s closing remarks, which—to be fair to her—really caught the mood of the debate. We all want homecoming to succeed, as it surely will. We do not see it as being in any way a political event or a matter of politics. We all have different views and we can respect the views of those with whom we disagree, so we can all work towards making homecoming 2014 a great success. Therefore, I entirely endorse Elizabeth Smith’s remarks regarding the tourist information centres.
Of course I have engaged closely with Elizabeth Smith and with other members with regard to those centres, which play an enormously useful role for the public. The way in which they offer their service is changing. I have opened centres in Peebles and in St Andrews, for example—as well as in other places—that have combined with local authorities or with commercial players in order to improve their offering. It is an important matter and I stress to Elizabeth Smith that I am interested in getting every decision right. They are not easy decisions to make, as the member will know. I did not want to neglect that point, as it was a fair point for the member to raise.
The skills issue is extremely important. Of course we must use the funding that we have to best effect. That is why I am delighted that the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council is now enabling the East Lothian tourism and hospitality academy initiative—which was highlighted in this Parliament at a reception and which has been enormously successful—to be rolled out throughout Scotland. Of course, organisations such as the Springboard charity, competitions such as junior chef and training at a different level in respect of the Strathclyde University’s globally prestigious hotel course—also offered at Lausanne in Switzerland—also make an enormous contribution to the common weal.
We have heard much about the contribution of the clans. I mentioned earlier that I was delighted that Sir Malcolm MacGregor and John Mackenzie are in the public gallery. Sometimes Governments should say that we need to do things better. One such occasion was some time ago, when I realised that the relationship that we enjoyed with the clans was not as good as it should be. I realised that when enjoying John Mackenzie’s hospitality at Castle Leod and I set about improving that relationship.
With respect, I think that we have achieved a measure of success. We have set up a clan fund, with financial support of up to £5,000, and 10 events are receiving support from that fund. Perhaps more important than those particular, relatively small, financial contributions is the fact that we have a clan forum, which was established to ensure close working between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and Scotland’s clans and families.
I will make particular reference to the contribution that the clans make to the common weal in Scotland, to tourism and to bringing back people from all over the world—not just in one year but regularly, in every year. It is something that I am proud to be associated with. I am proud because the essence of the celebration of the clan history of Scotland is the fact that we are celebrating friendship and connection with people from other countries.
As Marco Biagi said, let 2014 be the year when we all pull on the blue jersey for Scotland. As Dennis Robertson said, let 2014 be the year when Scotland has an open door to welcome everybody from the world. Let 2014—the year of homecoming—be the year when, at Scotland’s ceilidh, everyone is welcome.
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