The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-13510, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on marine tourism.
15:43
I highlight the importance of marine and coastal tourism to Scotland because of the variety of opportunities that it offers across the country. Marine tourism encompasses the manifold ways in which we enjoy our magnificent coast and the sea. It encompasses sailing, yachting and swimming. It includes beautiful beaches, such as the white sands of Morar on the west coast or Dalmore on the Isle of Lewis, which is near to and the preferred beach of Katie Morag, and the two beaches of Nairn in my constituency entitled—not surprisingly—east and west. It includes cruise liners, small motor-powered boats, canoeists, kayakers, divers and ferry passengers. It covers coastal communities and businesses; it also covers numerous activities, such as sea angling, marine wildlife watching, day boat trips, motor boating, coastal rowing, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and waterskiing. I have no doubt that members will regale us with many more activities during the debate.
Each of those activities adds to the distinctiveness of Scotland’s magnificent coastline and attracts many tourists each year. The Scottish Government wishes to encourage that further. We support the work of the Scottish marine tourism development group, which aims to maximise the visitor offering and experience and the economic impact of marine tourism.
The industry-led strategic framework “Awakening the Giant: A Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Marine Tourism Sector” was launched on 5 March. The action plan that it will deliver has brought together an enormous coalition of the aquatic enthusiastic, and we have much to be enthusiastic about.
Scotland has a long and distinguished association with the sea. I am assured that our sea area is six times the land mass of Scotland—more than 460,000 km2—and our national marine plan is the first such statutory plan in the United Kingdom. As Lewis Macdonald’s amendment—which we will support—notes, the vision in that plan is for seas that are clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse. That will help us to attract visitors from around the world as well as from closer to home.
A huge amount of work was done across stakeholders and the industry before the marine tourism framework was launched, and it is appropriate to acknowledge the work of the very active cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament as well as the unstinting work of its convener, Stuart McMillan, in driving that work forward. On 20 May, he and I enjoyed the hospitality that was offered by Port Edgar marina to publicise the work of the annual European Union maritime day. We both immediately recognised this year’s maritime day theme of using ports and coasts as gateways to wider marine-based opportunities as an approach that we already encourage in Scotland.
We should never forget that marine tourists spend not just on their activity—for example, sailing—but on food and drink; on entertainment, including onshore excursions and activities; and on retail, including nautical and chandlery supplies. I am sure that many a great night is had ashore.
The debate that Kenny Gibson secured in March highlighted the work on coastal and marine tourism that is being undertaken by Arran, which shows how an integrated approach to marketing can help to market all that a destination has to offer. Arran is marketed as one of the cold-water islands, and I can assure members that that is the correct name for it. I discovered that for myself when I dived off Corrie pier in 1976—an experience that I have not managed to forget since.
The marine national plan aims to open up coastal areas further for tourism and shows that we have many great assets and unique selling points that help us with marine tourism. The Caledonian canal is foremost among those, and we worked with Scottish Canals to maximise the tourism value from the 1,200 vessels that transited the canal last year. That links with the Great Glen way, which is growing in reputation as a must-do long walk like the West Highland way, the Speyside way and the Hebridean way, which I hope to open formally when I am on holiday in Lewis in a few weeks’ time—hasten the day.
In a recent members’ business debate, Dave Thompson highlighted those linkages. We aim to link the land with the sea and to link marine tourism with land-based development. That means building more marinas with more moorings and many fine restaurants to cater for our visitors who sail the west coast as well as those who participate in competitions in the east, those who navigate our inland waters and those who transit around our coasts from the Scandic markets. There is a huge potential market in Scandinavia and other countries as well as closer to home among our friends in Holland, for example.
The Scottish Government is working closely with Cruise Scotland and VisitScotland to continue to grow the cruise sector, which is a huge market. The United Kingdom Chamber of Shipping estimates that the average cruise passenger is worth £74 to the local economy—I think that means that they spend £74 in the local economy. Over the past four years, the number of passengers has increased by more than 150,000 to over 400,000, with more than 450 vessels docking on our shores in 2015. There are particular increases in the numbers of passengers who arrive in ports such as Greenock, Kirkwall, Stornoway and Edinburgh. That shows enormous success for an industry that is truly global in reach. We supported Cruise Scotland attending the inaugural European cruise tourism dialogue symposium in Brussels in March this year.
An on-going issue remains the effect that the unconsulted-on face-to-document passport checks are having on the cruise industry. Furthermore, the unwelcome and on-going uncertainty about costs means that our smaller ports are wary of considering how they might attract smaller vessels, which could serve the more specialist niche markets, such as wildlife cruises, history and heritage.
The Scottish Government shall continue to press the UK Government on the issue. I am pleased to note that Tracey Crouch MP, the new UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, was a member of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee when it recognised the key role of visas in tourism. The committee’s March 2015 “Tourism” report recognised the need that
“Border Force staffing levels are maintained at levels that can meet the demand posed by what we hope will be increasing numbers of tourists.”
The strategic framework seeks to maximise the opportunities to grow marine tourism by providing a framework under which all the elements of the marine tourism sector can grow. As part of that, I encourage everyone involved, especially local authorities and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, to work with all in the tourism industry to encourage imaginative linkages across Scotland that highlight all that Scotland’s coasts have to offer, whether viewed from the land or the sea.
I confirm that I will accept the amendment in Lewis Macdonald’s name.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises the contribution that marine tourism makes to Scotland and the Scottish economy; acknowledges the efforts made by the Scottish Government and its agencies to encourage marine tourism alongside the physical benefits of participating in sport, and urges them to continue those efforts; further acknowledges the objectives and policies for marine tourism and recreation as set out in Scotland’s National Marine Plan, adopted in March 2015; highlights the potential for destinations creating strategic linkages and expanding market opportunities; acknowledges the efforts of the Scottish Marine Tourism Development Group in its engagement with stakeholders around the strategic framework for Scotland’s marine tourism sector, Awakening the Giant, and encourages local authorities and other key stakeholders to engage in the consultation process.
15:52
The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism’s opening speech has illustrated the extent to which there is wide agreement on the value of marine tourism and the benefits that it brings to the Scottish economy.
Most people in Scotland live close either to the coast, to our inland waterways or to freshwater lochs, which also attract tourists and add value to the local economy. There is public support, and there is a general recognition that Scotland has a distinctive high-quality offer that attracts visitors from across these islands and beyond. That underpins cross-party support for a strategic approach to growing the sector.
I congratulate the minister on his choice of the Isle of Lewis as a holiday destination this year. At much the same time, my family and I will be enjoying the equally unspoiled attractions of the Gaelic coast of Argyll. I am looking forward to that immensely.
We should not shy away from the fact that there are some genuinely challenging issues to resolve. Tourism in the marine environment must take its place alongside many other important activities, and all those activities must go forward in a way that is sustainable in environmental and ecological terms. The sensitivity of that has been highlighted again in recent days, following announcements about the intended management measures in Scotland’s planned new marine protected areas. I am sure that ministers will agree to meet the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation to discuss its members’ concerns. Those concerns on the part of fishing communities highlight just how important it is to join up policy in all areas affecting the marine environment. Our amendment stresses that, and it stresses the importance of good environmental standards on our beaches. It also highlights the potential for ecotourism, onshore and offshore.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency reported this month that water quality at one quarter of Scotland’s designated bathing areas could be classified as poor when measured against the new, tougher European Union standards that have come into force. The cleanliness of Scotland’s beaches is hugely important to the families who use them for recreation and to the canoeists, surfers, divers, water skiers and others already mentioned who venture further offshore. This year’s report was clearly disappointing, but I am glad that SEPA has recognised the need to redouble its efforts with partners to sort that out.
I welcome the minister’s support for our amendment and his acknowledgement of its positive intent. Our focus is not just on the challenges but on the potential of the biodiversity of our coasts and seas as a tourist attraction. A good deal has been done over the past 30 years to address the pollution problem where it exists, and there is general agreement about the importance of partnership working to address challenges and opportunities.
Working through the Scottish marine tourism group, a range of bodies led by the British Marine Federation, the Royal Yachting Association and Sail Scotland have taken a collective lead in preparing the strategic framework to which the minister referred. In writing “Awakening the Giant”, those bodies had support from a range of public bodies including Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Crown Estate, Scottish Canals, EventScotland, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International. That combination of private, voluntary and public effort is key to the success of the sector as a whole.
“Awakening the Giant” focuses on sailing and boating—activities that already generate more than £100 million of visitor expenditure each year. That sector could be even more lucrative with the right strategy rolled out, and I welcome much of what the document says. It is critical that any plan to increase involvement in the range of marine sports and activities includes all the public bodies, and in some cases private proprietors, that have responsibility for the management and sustainability of our waterways, coasts and harbours. The future of trust ports is of great importance, and that has already been debated separately this afternoon.
A good example of how harbours can combine tourism awareness with their core commercial business is provided by Aberdeen harbour, which is the busiest trust port in the country and is home to healthy populations of seals, porpoises and dolphins. Earlier this year, Aberdeen Harbour board launched a new code of practice to protect the dolphins that swim in and out in pursuit of salmon. The harbour also has its own marine tourism offer of boat trips around the harbour to see the seals and the oil industry support vessels up close.
Harbour authorities have a role to play in marine tourism, as do the Crown Estate and Scottish Canals, with respective responsibility for the foreshore and sea bed and for our purpose-built inland waterways. Local authorities also have extensive responsibilities, as do our national park authorities and public bodies such as SEPA and Scottish Natural Heritage.
It would be useful to hear the minister’s views on the future management and division of responsibilities for the Crown Estate’s marine assets in Scotland. As he will know, the Smith agreement laid down that the management of those assets should be devolved to Scotland, and the Scotland Bill, which was debated elsewhere yesterday, makes provision for that to happen. The Smith agreement also involved a commitment by all parties to the further devolution of responsibility for the Crown estate from the Scottish level to our island councils and any other local authorities that want such powers. The Scottish Government has not yet stated how it intends to take that forward, so perhaps the minister will indicate that today.
The involvement of Scotland’s enterprise and export agencies is also important. Tourism of all sorts is a revenue-generating business that contributes to the wider economy, and there is a need to develop sectoral strengths and address deficiencies in that context. It is important that VisitScotland and EventScotland continue to support the development of the marine tourism sector. Events such as the Scottish traditional boat festival at Portsoy are attractive in themselves and can also be used as a hook to bring in visitors who then explore other exciting aspects of what Scotland has to offer.
Our amendment refers to the importance of environmental standards in diversifying marine tourism in Scotland. Ecotourism is a growing industry, whether it involves highly accessible wildlife-watching boat trips or specialised diving and underwater photography. There are many other potential growth areas if we get our partnership working and priorities right. In that way, we can build on the strengths that we already have to diversify and grow the sector as a whole. I am confident that we can continue to do that on the basis of shared objectives, as long as we acknowledge where improvements still need to be made. This debate can help us get there. On that basis, I move amendment S4M-13510.1, to insert after “2015”:
“; recognises the importance of environmental standards in Scotland’s marine areas, including beaches, coastal and inland waterways, and the potential offered by marine biodiversity for growing eco-tourism”.
16:00
The Scottish Conservatives recognise the importance of marine tourism to the Scottish economy, and I am particularly aware of its economic significance in my region—the Highlands and Islands. The Highlands and Islands have some of the best environments for marine tourism in Europe, if not the world, from the famous Crinan and Caledonian canals to the tropical-esque blue waters of the Western Isles, our wonderful marine wildlife and our wind resource, which can be perfect for windsurfing in places such as Tiree and Kintyre.
The boating sector in Scotland is vibrant and diverse and generates around £100 million a year, but we need to expand that capacity. The Scottish Government’s marine tourism strategy correctly identifies the need to improve harbour and marina infrastructure and to increase the provision of pontoons and jetties around Scotland’s coast.
The need for new pontoons and a transit marina for visiting boats in Oban—already well known as the gateway to the isles—has been a big issue in the town for years and has been championed by Oban Bay Marine, to which I pay tribute, and by many local businesses. However, they are incredibly frustrated—I share that frustration—that all the hard work that they have undertaken has not yet led to the project moving ahead. They want Argyll and Bute Council to take a more constructive, proactive and urgent approach.
It has been eight years since the council adopted a transit marina as part of the proposed redevelopment of a number of towns in Argyll. A town centre transit marina would be a big boost to the local economy. Oban Bay Marine estimates that Oban is losing £1 million a year for each year that the project is delayed. The project needs to move ahead without further delay so that Oban businesses can benefit from an increase in recreational boats and yachts stopping in this wonderful and beautiful Argyll town.
Although we can agree with the Scottish Government’s motion today, it would be remiss of me not to highlight the significant concerns of marine tourism businesses, such as boat yard operators, about the pending changes to the operation of the Crown estate in Scotland, which they fear might lead to an increase in ground rent charges. A number of concerned businesses in my region have already contacted me about the subject, and I wrote to the cabinet secretary earlier this year on their behalf. I know that the cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism has also taken up the issue with the Government. In addition, the Royal Yachting Association has spoken out; it cited its constructive working relationship with the Crown Estate and raised concerns about the possible transfer of current Crown Estate functions to local authorities.
Marine tourism and boat yard businesses in my region have made it very clear to me that the Crown Estate manages local harbours and mooring areas in a highly professional, efficient and successful way and that it involves local groups in decision making. That has also been my experience of the Crown Estate more generally over the years.
Crucially, the Crown Estate has developed a team of people who have a great deal of expertise and exceptional knowledge. It is vital that we do not lose that and that we avoid putting in place a new system that increases costs on marine businesses, which could reduce the number of boats in our harbours—that could have a negative effect on coastal communities. I strongly urge ministers to take on board the concerns that exist in this area.
I again welcome today’s debate and I join the minister and others in acknowledging the efforts of the Scottish marine tourism development group. I also associate myself with the remarks that have been made about the cross-party group’s leader, who has made terrific efforts.
That brings us to the open debate. Members were previously told that there would be speeches of four minutes. However, having recalculated the time available, I can give members up to five minutes.
16:04
I welcome the debate and thank the minister and Jamie McGrigor for their kind remarks.
This is an important time for our marine tourism offering, and I will focus my remarks on “Awakening the Giant”, which the minister spoke about and which is mentioned in the motion. I also want to touch on how a cross-party group has greatly pushed the marine tourism agenda. As members know, I chair the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on recreational boating and marine tourism, which meets tonight at 6 pm in committee room 4. Members are all kindly invited.
The “Awakening the Giant” report would not have happened without the cross-party group; its genesis was in the group. We knew that the recreational boating and wider marine tourism sector had something greater to offer, but anecdotal evidence was not enough to convince the public sector to invest—and nor should it have been. The sector agreed that it needed to do more to highlight the existing product, the opportunities and a pathway to getting that economic benefit for the sector and for Scotland. Our cross-party group started that work, helped immensely along the way, and now we have the first-ever national strategy for the sector.
The report is by no means the end of the journey; this is the beginning of the next phase, which is to make the offering the best that it can be. My personal aim is to make Scotland the world place to go for sailing, recreational boating and marine tourism activities. I believe that we should all have that aim.
From our first symposium two years ago, to this publication, to our second symposium later in the year—it is currently being organised and members will all be invited—we are leading the agenda. The Scottish Government and its agencies are wholly supportive and I believe that we will go from strength to strength.
A second point that I want to highlight relates to the national marine plan. Chapter 12, “Recreation and Tourism”, refers to improved data collection on marine and coastal recreational activities, including key recreation resources and access points, to enable improved targeting and long-term planning for those activities. Once again, that is a success for the cross-party group, as it was one of the key action points that we agreed upon at the symposium two years ago. That is now being delivered. I am delighted that that has been taken up. Some talented people are working on that. I believe that the results of that and the sector buy-in will prove invaluable for the industry in future.
The marine tourism offering covers many areas, some of which we have heard about, particularly in the minister’s speech. One such growing area is the cruise liner sector. From a small base just over 10 years ago, the sector is now worth some £50 million to the Scottish economy. In Inverclyde alone, it is estimated to be worth some £8 million. This year, the Greenock Ocean Terminal will pass the 100,000 passenger mark. It will be the first port in Scotland to do so, and it deserves every credit, as do the volunteers of the tremendous Inverclyde tourist group, whom the minister has met. Every member of the tourist group understands that tourism is everyone’s business. They are exemplars in the delivery of the friendly welcome that has been so lauded. People from other parts of these islands go to meet them to find out their secret.
As the minister knows, a campaign has been launched recently to bring the QE2 back to the Clyde. What a wonderful sight it would be to see the QE2 berthed on the Clyde. I support the campaign. My preference would be for the ship to berth in Greenock, as the deep water could accommodate it. I have had a wee discussion with my colleague Gil Paterson, who would like to see the QE2 over on the north part of the river, bearing in mind that it was built there. It could become a fabulous tourism opportunity, in conjunction with the growing cruise liner industry. That aspiration is not without its challenges, however, the main one being reduced budgets. Although the Scottish Government, its agencies and local government do not have endless pots of money at their disposal, I would ask Scottish Enterprise to work with others to initiate a feasibility study into the project. What a boost the project could offer if it was successful, although I stress that it would face major challenges.
I welcome this important debate and am delighted to champion the marine tourism sector in the Parliament. We have the scenery, the hospitality, the food, the culture, the heritage and the people. Those are now being brought together like never before. Marine tourism is a gem in Scotland’s offering. The cross-party group in the Parliament has helped hugely in driving forward that agenda and its future success.
16:09
This afternoon’s debates seem to indicate that the business managers have something of a sense of humour, in that we have a themed afternoon—first visiting the Harbours (Scotland) Bill before moving on to marine tourism. That theme has encouraged our minister, Fergus Ewing, and Lewis Macdonald to ruminate on the adventures of holidays that lie ahead of them, even though we have a heavy fortnight ahead of us with stage 3 debates and so on.
Marine tourism is indeed one of the sleeping giants of the Scottish economy. Stuart McMillan and his cross-party group must be delighted that they have generated sufficient action to get support for marine tourism and its aims for the future. VisitScotland reports that sailing and boating alone already generate more than £100 million of visitor expenditure and directly support 2,730 jobs. That is good news for Scotland and good news for the future.
In 2014, the British Marine Federation estimated that the economic value of marine tourism in Scotland was around £360 million. More generally, Deloitte recorded that tourism, which is so crucial to Scotland’s cultural and economic wellbeing and sustains a great diversity of business throughout the country, contributed some £11 billion to the Scottish economy in direct and indirect spending and supported somewhere in excess of 200,000 jobs.
In my region of South Scotland, many ports and areas rely heavily on marine tourism: Stranraer, Ballantrae, Girvan, Ayr, Port Logan, Eyemouth and Dunbar all look forward to the development of marine tourism in the future. I have already raised with the minister the future of Stranraer as a port and the importance of developing tourism there to give the community a hope of a local economy.
The most recent VisitScotland visitor experience survey confirmed that scenery and natural environment are key concerns for Scottish tourism, with 90 per cent of visitors citing them as either very important or important factors when choosing Scotland as a holiday destination.
As convener of the cross-party group on China, I can report to the chamber the importance that our Chinese tourists attach to our environment and to that experience. In the years ahead, all being well, we will see many thousands of Chinese tourists coming here. They hope to see Scotland in its natural state. They want to see the white beaches, the harbours and the sailing experience, which they are not attuned to seeing in the many towns and cities from which they travel. Indeed, the Chinese consul general came with me to Dumfries and Galloway some 18 months ago and he spent days thereafter telling me how impressed he was with the environment that he visited and how much the people of China would value coming to Scotland for that experience.
Adding in the wildlife watching in coastal and marine areas, which accounts for over £160 million in tourist expenditure, this whole field of endeavour is as important as any other economic development that we are involved in across our environment.
However, marine tourism is not merely about money; it is also about the quality of life that it brings not only to the tourists who visit us but to the communities that benefit from the visitations and enjoy the cruise tourism that Scotland has increasingly experienced. The fact that 45,000 cruise passengers were reported back in 2000 and more than 400,000 were reported in 2015 shows the growth potential that lies there. The visitations from the cruise ships create a culture and a community that has resilience and confidence and which can plan for the future. All of that must be good for Scotland and it must be good for the people who live in our country. It must encourage many more to come here and join us.
I am happy to support the motion. I am delighted that the minister has indicated support for the Labour amendment. All strength to the Government’s arm in developing this area of activity.
16:14
Marine tourism is important to many of my constituents, particularly those who live in the island communities of Arran and Cumbrae and the coastal towns in my constituency, from Saltcoats in the south to Skelmorlie in the north.
Scotland, as we know, is blessed with an abundance of assets, energy, people, scenery and produce. Along with those, our marine environment features highly in the strong hand that nature dealt Scotland. Our waters are rich in some of the finest seafood on the planet: Scottish oysters, scallops, langoustines, crabs and lobsters are found on dining tables of top restaurants around the world, and our seafood exports soared to a whopping £613 million last year.
Scotland has vibrant aquatic ecosystems, incredible coastal communities and stunning beaches. Incidentally, Arran has the only officially recognised nudist beach in Scotland, should any hardy soul wish to experience it. At times, of course, it is too cold for some members.
The Scottish Government has worked hard to recognise and develop a strong and growing marine tourism sector. Although the marine environment can be harnessed and enjoyed sustainably, we must remain conscious of how fragile it is. We must treat our waters as an asset that requires careful management and protection. To that end, I welcome the Scottish Government’s objectives and policies for marine tourism and recreation, which are set out in “Scotland’s National Marine Plan” and will ensure that growth is sustainable, allowing us to reap the rewards of our marine environment long into the future.
Marine tourism is one of Scotland’s sleeping giants. We have heard of the excellent work that my colleague Stuart McMillan and others in the cross-party group have done on expanding the recreational boating sector. In my constituency we have Largs yacht haven and Ardrossan marina.
Largs yacht haven recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and has grown to become Scotland’s first five-gold-anchor marina. It supports 730 berths, more than 120 jobs, 17 business premises and a 250-space boatyard with two travel hoists. Clearly Largs yacht haven has been a huge success story and demonstrates the massive potential that the sector holds. The minister will no doubt recall that he and I visited it together in October 2013 to meet the businesses and charities that operate there, and I am sure that he will attest to my comments today.
Ardrossan marina, although much less established, has had a hugely positive impact on changing the image of the town and has the opportunity to further grow and develop. For those of you who have not yet visited and experienced the restaurants, shops and scenery on the north Ayrshire coast, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
The Isle of Arran, which the minister touched on in reference to cold-water tourism, is home to a growing and dynamic marine tourism sector, with many people visiting to participate in kayaking, windsurfing, yachting, scuba diving and other sports. Along with the introduction of the road equivalent tariff, that growing sector will be a huge boost to many island businesses that have found times tough in recent years.
I have already touched on sustainability, and with Arran in mind I wish to take this opportunity to salute the efforts of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, an organisation dedicated to the protection and restoration of the marine environment around Arran and the Clyde. Following many years of dredging and trawling, the sea floor around much of Arran became increasingly barren and, with little shelter for young fish, stocks declined markedly. I am pleased that the Scottish Government, having worked with and listened to COAST, introduced in 2008 Scotland’s first no-take zone in Lamlash Bay and last year designated the south Arran marine protected area, which is the only entirely community-led marine protected area in Scotland.
This year Howard Wood of COAST was awarded the highly coveted international Goldman environmental prize for his extraordinary efforts over many years—the first time that the award has gone to someone in Scotland. To fully appreciate what has been achieved by Howard and everyone involved with COAST, I recommend watching the short video on YouTube entitled “Howard Wood, 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, Scotland”. The video features a short comment from me and, perhaps more interestingly, is narrated by Robert Redford, which I believe allows me to claim that I have starred alongside him to some degree.
On top of the progress already achieved by COAST and the Scottish Government, I warmly welcome last week’s statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment that a marine conservation order will be put before Parliament, setting out conservation measures to ban the highly destructive practice of scallop dredging in the south Arran marine protected area and 12 other west coast MPAs. Those measures will protect not only fish stocks—sustaining the fishing industry for years to come—but also the diverse ecosystem on the seabed around Arran, which is becoming increasingly popular with scuba divers and marine researchers from all over the world: people who contribute strongly to marine tourism and the Scottish economy.
I again welcome the work undertaken by COAST, the Scottish Government and Scottish marine tourism development group in ensuring that the sleeping giant wakes from its slumber.
Thank you, Mr Gibson. I am glad that I was able to give you that extra minute in which to told us about your venture into Hollywood.
16:20
We could have been spared the story of Mr Gibson’s ventures down to the nudist beach on Arran.
I too welcome this brief debate. As Orkney’s MSP, I certainly need no persuading of the importance of marine tourism to our economy, and in particular to the local economies of our island and coastal communities.
Like other members, I will focus on the constituency dimension to the debate, given the success that Orkney has enjoyed in developing marine tourism by playing to its strengths in terms of its natural resources and the skills of its people, working in harmony with the former and constantly looking to broaden and enhance the latter. Success also requires investment in appropriate infrastructure, although there do not appear to be any plans to follow Arran’s lead in setting aside facilities for adventurous nudists.
Orkney offers interesting examples of the sort of challenges that can arise from success, but I will start—as the motion encourages us to do—by reflecting on the enormous opportunities. Orkney was once described by the Lonely Planet guide as the
“glittering centrepiece in Scotland’s treasure chest of attractions.”
There are many reasons for that, of course, but the richness of our marine environment is certainly one of the main reasons.
In recent years, increasing numbers of people have come to enjoy wildlife tours organised by an expanding group of small local businesses. They are run by individuals with a wealth of expertise, which helps bring the experience to life for visitors. This year, a pod of orcas has been the stand-out attraction for visitors and locals alike. Sightings around Scapa Flow have been frequent—including yesterday’s sighting off Hoxa Head—and the photos posted on websites and social media have been utterly breathtaking.
An interesting aspect of the way in which the marine tourism sector has developed in Orkney has been the extent to which local people have taken an increasingly close interest in what is to be found around their shores. That, in turn, has the added advantage of ensuring that tourists are able to draw on a far wider range of local expertise, from the professional to the wholly voluntary.
The presence of orcas may discourage some from venturing into the water but, despite that, Orkney enjoys a fantastic reputation for diving, thanks in particular to the many wartime wrecks to be found on the seabed of Scapa Flow—a legacy of Orkney’s strategically important role as the base for the grand fleet and the Atlantic fleet during the first and second world wars.
At this point I will make a specific request of the minister. Having a dive sector of such significance as well as a marine renewables industry—with which the minister will be very familiar—creates a need for hyperbaric facilities in Stromness. To date those facilities have been funded locally, with national funding being directed to the hyperbaric chamber in Aberdeen. However, Orkney now deals with half the overall number of cases, and the funding distribution is therefore increasingly hard to justify. I encourage the minister to look at how that can be addressed.
I will finish with a couple of other success stories. As has been the case in other parts of the country, Orkney has invested heavily in marina facilities, which are currently located in Kirkwall, Stromness and Westray. With a 50 per cent growth in visits in the past two years, and more growth anticipated, further investment in infrastructure will be needed to cope, and I understand that a further marina in Shapinsay may now be on the cards. All of that helps to provide additional opportunities to grow and broaden the benefits from the sector.
Similar opportunities—as colleagues have mentioned—are being seized elsewhere in Scotland. That competition is healthy, and it makes Scotland a more attractive proposition by opening up the chance to plot routes, taking in different communities and enriching the overall experience.
Something similar also seems to be happening in relation to the cruise-liner market. As Stuart McMillan explained, Inverclyde and many other ports are witnessing impressive growth, but the pace of the growth in Orkney is truly phenomenal. In 2009, we hosted 29,000 cruise-liner passengers and 10,000 crew. Those figures have risen to 80,000 and 30,000 respectively, and a record 87 liners have confirmed their intention to include a stop in the islands next year.
Although I firmly believe that that has benefited the islands that I represent, I am aware that it has brought challenges too, particularly shoreside. A limit has already been set on the numbers of people who can be allowed ashore at any one time but, even with that limit in place, an influx of 4,500 people into a community of just over 20,000 can be hard to accommodate without causing disruption to the local population or potentially compromising the quality of experience for visitors.
An example of where the current infrastructure really has struggled is the availability of coaches. Whereas on the Scottish mainland, additional coach capacity can be increased relatively quickly as and when required, that is less straightforward in the islands.
The minister will be aware of these concerns from his meetings with Cruise Scotland, but I urge him to look at what can be done to help places such as Orkney to deal with the issue. One possible option might be to look at how it can be used as an opportunity to promote investment in electric vehicles, thereby helping to deliver on green or ecotourism objectives. I do not expect to get an answer from the minister today, but I would be grateful if he would agree to ask his officials and relevant agencies to reflect further and report back.
I must ask you to close.
I conclude by saying that I have not touched on many of the issues that I should have. I welcome Lewis Macdonald’s comments on the devolution of the responsibilities of the Crown Estate. The omission of the Northern Isles from RET is hampering our marine tourism businesses.
I welcome this afternoon’s brief debate and support the motion and amendment, and I look forward to hearing the other contributions, including the minister’s response.
Some members who have spoken already have gone slightly over their time, so I must ask the next three members to keep strictly to five minutes.
16:25
I welcome the opportunity to speak in today’s debate on marine tourism. Although my constituency does not have a large sea coastline, it has a significant share of the River Forth and the start of the Forth and Clyde canal connecting with the Union canal. It also has the largest container port in Scotland at Grangemouth, but that does not tend to attract many tourists, I have to admit.
Falkirk district does have a long history and association with the sea, from ports such as Bo’ness and Carronshore that bustled in centuries gone by, to the Falkirk wheel and the millennium link canal network in the 21st century.
Given that my constituency is closely associated with past and present industrial activity, members are probably wondering what relevance marine tourism has to the people of Grangemouth and the wider Falkirk East constituency. Marine tourism is relevant to and impacts on most parts of Scottish society. It is right and proper that marine tourism has its own national plan and that we debate and consider it separately from tourism in general, but considering it in isolation risks us failing to maximise the opportunities that marine tourism can bring to different sectors.
Marine tourism is already an important part of the Scottish economy and it has a notable impact on rural and remote economies. At this point, I pay tribute to the work and progress of the cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism. Convened by our colleague, Stuart McMillan, the CPG has ensured that marine tourism is well and truly on the agenda.
Many people consider marine tourism to be solely coastal tourism and cruising and recreational activities that are undertaken out at sea. I was in Stornoway at the weekend and saw at first hand the new £1.15 million yacht marina at the harbour with its cluster of pontoons and the picturesque port below Lews castle. It aims to tap into the growing west coast sailing market and encourage more yachtsmen to explore the Outer Hebrides. Demand is already surging well beyond expectations, which the harbour board predicted would not happen for three years. Approximately 70 berths are now available, including 43 spaces for larger yachts that were successful and popular last summer.
That success was closely followed by that of the Lochmaddy yacht marina in North Uist that was built by Comann na Mara, or the Society of the Sea, which was the first UK body to secure a local management agreement for community control of a section of the sea bed from the Crown Estate. The Crown Estate has to be commended for the way in which it engages with local bodies to benefit local economies. I am sure that we can expect more of the same when management of the estate is transferred to Scotland. The Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee will take evidence on that tomorrow morning when representatives from the Crown Estate come before us.
Following on from those successes, a local community group plans to build a £1.3 million marina facility and floating pontoons in Tarbert on Harris and Scalpay if an application to the Scottish Government’s coastal community fund is successful. Lots of exciting projects have been completed recently or are planned.
I am waxing lyrical about the Western Isles so I had better turn to my constituency. Grangemouth, Bo’ness and Blackness already have well-established yachting and boating clubs, although they are arguably undersupported. If the Scottish Government is committed to improving marine tourism, it might wish to consider making the Firth of Forth a hub for boating on the east coast. That could improve links to mainland Europe and the Nordic region as well as improving connectivity between other east coast marine activities and my constituency through links with the canal network.
I am worried that Swedes are being advised not to take their yachts into the Scotland’s lowland canals because they badly need to be dredged and boats have been known to get stuck. That is perhaps not the best advert when trying to attract Nordic boat owners with a high disposable income. I hope that the minister takes that issue on board; if there is ever any underspend, putting some resources towards dredging our canals would be most welcome.
I feel that any marine tourism initiative is missing a great asset if it does not use our canals to link tourism between the Clyde and the Forth. The mix of boundaries, local authorities, development plans and conflicting demands can make for a challenging planning environment, but the benefits to our national tourism trade and the improvement to the quality of tourists’ experience far outweigh that.
In summary, it is fair to say that, despite the challenges that we have heard about, it all seems to be heading in the right direction.
16:30
This has been an afternoon of consensual debates, and it is certainly right that we have found consensus on the motion lodged by the minister on marine tourism. As Graeme Pearson said, the afternoon’s debates have dovetailed neatly: I will be talking about the work of our harbours and the important contribution that they can make to marine tourism, too.
It is right for the Scottish Government to recognise the importance of the opportunities offered by marine tourism, not least for our economy and particularly for North East Scotland. I am sure that Aberdeen Harbour will have been referred to in the previous debate on the Harbours (Scotland) Bill, and I will return to the plans for it later on. However, I also want to discuss the importance of Aberdeenshire’s harbours to the local economies of the region. Often in those local economies it can be much more difficult to stimulate local employment, particularly in the aftermath of some of the decommissioning in fishing, but we have a very positive story in the development of marine tourism.
There has been a great deal of investment in harbours in Aberdeenshire to enable them to capitalise on the opportunities for marine and coastal tourism. It is well worth making the point, particularly in the context of the current political debates across the country, that a great deal of that funding has come from European Union funding streams. The Aberdeenshire European fisheries fund programme funded 26 projects to a value of nearly £700,000. That was important support for the region and for our coastal communities, and it resulted in funding for a number of different projects, including the Peterhead heritage trail, with the seafood festival and trail linking marine tourism with the north-east’s great reputation for food, and other projects such as the Banff coast tourism development programme.
The Banff marina was established in 2003, when the local community identified the need for a marina to boost the harbour’s attraction to the growing tourism trade. The marina now provides 76 berths. Not just in Banff but in Macduff and other harbours too there has been important investment.
Of course, there is always the potential to do more to obtain even greater benefits from marine tourism for local communities, and I know that there are calls to invest further to improve Rosehearty harbour and to develop further the coastal walk between Fraserburgh and Rosehearty. I am sure that that would be beneficial for the north-east, as well in developing marine tourism.
As Lewis Macdonald referred to in his speech, there are exciting plans for Aberdeen Harbour too, which would also be of huge benefit to marine tourism in the north-east, with the £320 million plans to upgrade Aberdeen’s Nigg Bay harbour to accommodate cruise ships—plans that are supported by Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Enterprise. I hope that the plans will therefore receive strong support from ministers as well.
Lewis Macdonald rightly set out challenges for ministers as well. Even in a consensual debate, it is important to do that. Beach quality is vital to attract more people to our beaches and our coastal communities. Also, considering the devolution of new powers over the Crown estate, it is right to argue for those powers to be located in local communities. Banff marina, where the need for development was identified locally, is an example of why it is right to devolve powers beyond Holyrood and into local communities.
More work remains to be done to promote marine tourism in Scotland, but it is good that the Scottish Government has identified it as an important area of work and it is right to recognise what is already being done to capitalise on the great natural resources that we have—the beauty of our coastline, the attraction of our beaches and the fantastic facilities that we have, more and more, in our harbours across the coast—so that we capitalise on the opportunities that they give us and we encourage even more people to visit and enjoy Scotland’s coast in the future.
16:35
I am delighted to speak in the debate, but having spoken in the previous debate on the Harbours (Scotland) Bill, I am beginning to feel like Para Handy, so I ask members not to make any comments about the Vital Spark.
Under the leadership of the present Scottish Government, Scotland’s tourism industry has grown significantly over the past few years. We all want Scotland to become one of the more accessible tourist destinations by providing high quality, value for money and memorable customer experiences.
Our marine industry currently contributes about £4.5 billion to the Scottish economy, part of which comes from marine tourism. It is a market sector that can and does attract high-spending individuals and groups, and it is one that fits well with other parts of our tourism offering—for example, food and drink. Scotland has the longest coastline in Europe, and we know that it has breathtaking coastal scenery and great views from the water.
Of course, marine tourism must take into consideration the part that it has to play in sustaining the environment. “Scotland’s National Marine Plan”, which was published in March 2015, covers 900 separate islands with varying habitats and a diverse array of 6,500 species. The strategic framework for Scotland’s marine tourism sector, which is rightly called “Awakening the Giant”, sits comfortably alongside the national marine plan. Marine tourism contributes £360 million to our economy, which it is hoped will rise to £450 million by 2020. As Graeme Pearson mentioned, sailing alone is worth £101 million to the economy, and the marine plan aims to increase that to £145 million by 2020. Nearly 46,000 workers are employed in the marine sector—many of them in marine tourism.
The strategy aims to boost Scotland’s reputation as a world-class marine tourism destination by improving the experiences of visitors, building new facilities and promoting new and existing events. The minister omitted to mention golf tourism. The open championship will take place on the Fife coast next month, this year’s women’s British open will be held on the Ayrshire coast at Turnberry, and Troon will host the open in 2016.
In my defence, I say that the reason why I omitted reference to golf tourism is that it is not normally a marine event.
I thought so, too, minister.
The minister has obviously not seen me play golf across a pond.
Europe has recognised the value of the sector; in the previous debate, I mentioned the trans-European network transport programme of investment for improving our harbours and ports, which can only aid and abet our tourism strategy.
Mention has been made of the cruise-liner industry and the great potential that it offers. From conversations with people who are involved in the industry in Florida, we know that they are pulling out of the middle east and are looking for alternative destinations. In 2012, about 500 cruise liners went to Copenhagen, while only 50 docked in Edinburgh. As has been said, cruise liners offer huge potential to encourage jobs and investment. We can build on the fact that 2015 is the year of food and drink by encouraging more visitors by sea to go to shops and restaurants when they come ashore.
All that only adds to our image as a country that can attract and manage big events such as the Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games, which we had last year. We can also provide individual activities such as fishing. I am talking about inshore fishing for things such as scallops and prawns, rather than about dredging.
I want to look at an example closer to home. We all know about the potential of Prestwick as an airport and a spaceport. Prestwick sits alongside Troon. I spoke in the debate on the Harbours (Scotland) Bill, which will give us the opportunity to encourage investment in our ports and harbours. That investment in marine facilities could be aligned with investment in air facilities. If all that was combined with a reduction in air passenger duty, there would be potential for drawing together marine tourism and air passenger tourists.
I commend the marine plan to the chamber and I look forward to encouraging whoever will sail into our harbours, engage in water sports and enjoy diving and seeing that Scotland is as beautiful under the water as it is above it.
We come to wind-up speeches. I call Jamie McGrigor, who has about four minutes.
16:40
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
There have been some good speeches from all across the chamber. In that regard, I commend Stuart McMillan again for the good work that he has done in convening the Parliament’s cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism, of which I am a member. There have been some very good illustrations at the cross-party group of how important sea angling is. A number of members referred to sea angling in the debate, and I agree with the sentiments that they expressed on it. As we have heard, the Scottish Government’s 2009 “Economic Impact of Recreational Sea Angling in Scotland” report set out just how much income the industry brings in. I am delighted that this year’s European boat-and-line class sea angling championships will return to Stromness in Orkney during the first week of August. They were last held in Orkney in 2009, and the chairman of the European Federation of Sea Angling, Horst Schneider, has described that as an
“unforgettable event producing an amazing 4,227 fish featuring ling, pollack, cod and spurdog over the four competition days.”
I wish all the competitors tight lines in this year’s championships and I hope that many more international sea-angling competitions can be held in Scotland, because they provide huge boosts to local economies.
Marine wildlife watching is also very important, especially in my region of the Highlands and Islands. One third of the whale population of the north Atlantic migrates through the waters around the Hebrides each year, and companies like Hebridean Whale Cruises offer fantastic opportunities to see those beautiful creatures. A company called Seafari Adventures that operates in Oban and Skye also offers fascinating marine wildlife boat trips, including being taken to see the Gulf of Corryvreckan, home of the world’s third-largest whirlpool. However, having done it myself, I can assure members that they would not want to go there under the wrong conditions. There are also a number of companies offering trips to see the Moray Firth’s population of bottlenose dolphins.
The role of Scotland’s canals has been mentioned in the debate. Again, I recognise the very significant income that they bring to my region through the tourism that is associated with the Caledonian and Crinan canals. Earlier this month in the chamber, I was pleased to take part in Dave Thompson’s members’ business debate about the Caledonian canal. Following that debate, in which I highlighted calls for additional moorings to be provided along the canal, I was contacted by my constituent David Edes, who is chairman of the Great Glen Canal Users Association. Mr Edes, too, is keen to see additional moorings, but points out that Government support for Scottish Canals has remained frozen at about £10 million per annum, which in real terms is a steady reduction. That seems to be very good value for money, given the number of visitors that our canals attract. However, would the Government consider making additional one-off payments to provide additional moorings in order to expand capacity, which seems to be what people are asking for? Perhaps the minister will comment on that in his closing remarks.
We support the ambitions to grow Scotland’s marine tourism sector and we look to the Scottish Government and local authorities to do whatever they can to support our marine tourism businesses, especially in the provision of infrastructure, which is crucial if we are going to meet our growth targets. Support for marketing our excellent marine tourism activities is crucial and must go on.
16:44
We have had a good debate about the wide variety of attractions and activities that come under the marine tourism umbrella and about the strategy that is developing to grow that diversity even more. We have heard, too, that partnership is vital to the success of the strategy; there are many ways in which the various organisations in the sector can work together to promote Scotland and increase visitor numbers.
Our amendment highlights the growth of eco-tourism and the importance of environmental standards in encouraging nature lovers and water-sports enthusiasts, among others, to take advantage of our natural environment. There are issues to be addressed, but as Graeme Pearson illustrated, Scotland has much to celebrate in the quality of our environment, which is sometimes more obvious to visitors from afar, including the consul general from China, than it is to us.
Stuart McMillan highlighted the important contribution of Parliament’s cross-party group on boating and marine tourism to the development of the sector strategy and to the relevant parts of the national marine plan. That is also something to celebrate. It is what this Parliament, on a cross-party basis, aspires to do, and it demonstrates the added value that an effective cross-party group with the right leadership and sense of purpose can bring in making a link between Parliament and the wider economy and society.
A number of members highlighted the central importance of sailing to our marine tourism strategy. There is surely scope to explore the potential for longer-distance sailors and yachtsmen and women coming to Scotland, not as a mass market in itself, but as a means of promoting Scotland’s many attractions to audiences in other countries. Angus MacDonald’s comments on the success of the marinas in Stornoway and Lochmaddy reflect that potential.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to visit St Kilda, courtesy of a Harris skipper by the name of Angus Campbell. He showed the quality of his seamanship when the seas turned a little choppy on the way home to Leverburgh, but what was fascinating was the sheer number of other people who were making their own way to Scotland’s remotest islands. The St Kilda island group is 50 miles west of Harris. Of course, it justifies a visit in its own right, but it is also an obvious attraction to Atlantic sailors in general. As has been mentioned, there are leisure sailors from Scandinavia and the Baltic who head for the warm waters of the Caribbean every so often, and they might be attracted to spend some time in Scotland on the way there or back.
If we are to develop the full potential of our sailing economy, we should go beyond the desirable objective of providing good facilities for weekend sailors from Britain and Ireland, important though those are. Short-haul trips will continue to be the bread and butter, but the added value of appearing on global itineraries is worth pursuing vigorously.
The strategic framework for marine tourism recognises the actual and potential importance of near-abroad places such as Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands, but it describes Russia, for instance, as being of more long-term interest
“due to the challenges posed by geography and transport links.”
Having grown up in Lewis and living now in Aberdeen, I have never been inclined to think of the eastern Baltic or Arctic ports as being a long way away; there might be more potential in leisure business from those directions than we have yet begun to measure. I hope that the minister will agree that our harbours, marinas and canals can help to attract such long-distance business as well, if we take a positive approach.
Angus MacDonald made an important point about the need for all our canals to be properly dredged if they are to attract ocean-going yachts. I hope that that issue will be addressed.
Liam McArthur and others talked about more novel forms of marine tourism. Cutting-edge businesses such as those that are represented by Wild Scotland have tapped into the potential of the growing eco-tourism market. Dolphin discovery days and wild-river outings are but two of the most obvious water-borne attractions that will appeal to all the family while they are staying in accommodation that is specifically designed to have the lowest possible impact on the environment.
Our landscape and waterscape are ideally suited to activities such as white water rafting, deep-sea diving and outdoor swimming. Facilities such as Knockburn sports loch near Banchory meet the rising interest in such sports and are creating an environment in which outdoor swimmers can practice in safety even though they are miles from the open sea. The point here is that marine tourism is not a separate business in a silo, safely compartmentalised away from the tourism industry on dry land. All the activities that visitors can enjoy in freshwater have their counterparts in the seawater environment, and they all add up to an attractive offer for outdoor holiday fans from Scotland, the rest of these islands and further afield.
We have also heard about the value to the Scottish economy of ocean cruise ships, which are a long-established feature of global tourism. Many of those ships find their way to Scottish shores. It is not just the Clyde, which Stuart McMillan mentioned, that attracts them; as Richard Baker mentioned, places around the north-east coast and the northern isles also attract them. Aberdeen Harbour is building a whole new port in Nigg Bay, the purpose of which will be partly to bring more cruise ships and their thousands of passengers to land in Scotland. That will have obvious benefits for the wider economy.
Accommodating those ocean-going liners is a very different business from a marina for coastal sailors. However, just as marine tourism can benefit from a wider interest in the outdoors, so our coast must be geared to take all kinds of leisure vessels—great and small.
It is important that we recognise the connections within marine tourism and from it to other sectors. The Government, working in partnership, should and will—I hope—encourage innovation and imagination in how those businesses grow. If we can combine an adventurous spirit with careful support for our natural environment, the future for marine tourism in Scotland could be very bright.
16:50
I thank all members who have contributed to what has been the most harmonious debate that I can recall for a very long time. Perhaps that is because we are debating largely what happens at sea. It seems that such harmony is more elusive when we debate what occurs on land. Perhaps the moral of the story is that we should have more maritime debates, or perhaps the harmony is a reflection of the fact that the lure of the deep blue sea is very strong for many of us who have spoken in the debate.
I certainly agree that the debate has been consensual, but the minister’s memory may be playing tricks on him. He is a veteran of previous debates on December fisheries councils, and he will recall that some of those have been less than harmonious.
I was trying to forget them, but Mr McArthur has just made that slightly more difficult.
To be fair, this has been an informative, informed, useful and valuable debate on a relatively new area of activity. I am delighted that many members from all parties have paid tribute to the work that Stuart McMillan has led. He has gone beyond the call of duty as the convener of the cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism, into which he has put his whole heart and soul. I am delighted that so many members have paid tribute to his work.
I think that there were three calls for additional money, but I am afraid that I will accede to none of them on the spot. However, I will certainly come back to members, provided that they are willing to drop me a note and give a little bit more detail, as they did not have time to develop their points.
Liam McArthur talked about hyperbaric centres and coaches. The coaches issue is a serious one that I am very well aware of.
Angus MacDonald talked about canal dredging. I certainly was not aware that that is a problem that deters Swedes from coming to Scotland, but we learn something new every day.
I think that Jamie McGrigor made a point about additional moorings.
We will check the Official Report to see whether I miss any points, but I want to refer to some of the speeches and respond to specific questions that were asked.
Lewis Macdonald raised the concerns of fishermen on the west coast. Although that topic is perhaps not directly relevant to the debate, it is nonetheless an extremely serious one. I know it well from the days when I represented Lochaber and regularly engaged with the Mallaig and North West Fishermen’s Association and with representatives from the Clyde and indeed the Hebrides. I know that Richard Lochhead will continue to engage appropriately with all those representatives on what is a very serious matter.
Stuart McMillan mentioned the campaign for the QE2. I think that Inverclyde Council has written to me about that. We need to establish whether the vessel is for sale before any consideration is give to purchase. Members can call me a lawyer, but that seems an important piece of research. However, he was right to raise what would plainly be an iconic attraction for Scotland. The royal yacht Britannia on the east coast provides that role, so the QE2 would be appropriate on the west coast. I am sure that we will look into that sympathetically.
Jamie McGrigor quite fairly raised the question of costs, including the costs of the Crown estate post devolution. I am aware of the publicity, which I have seen and followed. To be fair, the strategy says that our ambition is to provide an excellent marine tourism destination, with value for money being applied. I know that Richard Lochhead wrote to Mr McGrigor in February, saying:
“It is important that the arrangements for the transfer of the Crown Estate retain key staff expertise and do not affect investor confidence.”
I hope that those comments provide Mr McGrigor with a measure of assurance.
I am delighted to inform Richard Baker that Glasgow Caledonian University is the Scottish partner for the cool route initiative. Blue Sea Marinas, which is based in Greenock, is also involved.
In response to Stuart McMillan, I say that I have never met a more enthusiastic cadre of people who welcome visitors to Scotland than the volunteers who work at Greenock Ocean Terminal. They are excellent.
Annabel Goldie has raised that issue previously. I would be happy to take the intervention that—although she did not expect to—she is going to make. [Interruption.]
You could just shout, Ms Goldie.
This is such an unexpected pleasure that I do not have my card in my console.
I thank Mr Ewing for referencing a splendid cohort in Greenock, some of whom went to Greenock academy, which is a very fine school.
That shows how excellent our education is, which I am sure is what we will hear from the education spokesperson at First Minister’s question time. There is no end to the bonhomie that has broken out in the chamber this afternoon.
I say to Liam McArthur that I was delighted to pay a further visit to Orkney fairly recently, when I attended the convention of the Highlands and Islands. In the course of that visit, I learned among other things that in addition to Highland Park, Scapa, which is the other excellent whisky that is distilled in the Orkney Islands, has established a visitor centre. That is a key destination for the thousands of people who visit Kirkwall from the cruise liners. Indeed, I played hookey from the COHI official proceedings for about 30 minutes and had the pleasure of meandering along Kirkwall’s main street and seeing the excellent shops and establishments that are sources of entertainment for visitors to that excellent place.
As Chic Brodie quite rightly pointed out, the strategy document is not just rhetoric or hi-falutin’ words and ideas; it also sets out a number of key actions on providing authentic experiences. Those include:
“Develop a comprehensive list of marine and related events, and identify opportunities and gaps within the calendar
Look to align and link regional, national and international events further to both cross-sell events and capture the wider economic and community impact and benefits
Develop a sports specific event strategy for the sector, and build on the success of events such as the Scottish Series
Secure two international events by 2020 (for example Tall Ships/Volvo Ocean Race event)
Revisit the River Festival and Clyde Fortnight, and ensure the co-ordination of the wide variety of regional and local events”.
On improving the customer journey, which, again, Chic Brodie mentioned, the key actions in the strategy relate to improved booking facilities, improved marine hosting arrangements and improved digital landscapes.
The strategy document has brought together the whole sector in a way that has never been done before. I am told that it was not always an easy challenge to overcome, because people in the sector were not used to working together and there were differences. However, they have all been brought together.
I quoted those extracts from the strategy document because it is not just a high-level strategy, but a plan for action that we can take.
This has been a most enjoyable, harmonious and, at times, jubilant debate, where nary a cross word of controversy has been spoken—a somewhat rare event, as I said.
We have, in the course of the afternoon, travelled widely and extensively, from Argyll to Orkney, from Aberdeen to Arran—via Greenock, whether we wanted to or not—
Members: Oh!
Of course, I wanted to; I was just offering members the opportunity to take a different view.
We narrowly avoided seeing Jamie McGrigor immersed in the Corryvreckan whirlpool, which we are very pleased about. We missed spotting Nessie but, in compensation and with thanks to Liam McArthur, we managed to identify Orca. Although we cannot have everything in life, the important things come to us if we work hard enough.
In conclusion, I exhort all my colleagues in the chamber to holiday in Scotland this year, whether for a fortnight, a week or just a weekend. I ask them to take their family to some of the finest locations in the world and have a marvellous time—and to take a bucket and spade and deploy them to the full.
Previous
Harbours (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1Next
Decision Time