Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Thursday, June 21, 2012

Official Report 1131KB pdf

---

Visitor Economy

The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-03400, in the name of Fergus Ewing, on growing the visitor economy.

15:13

It is only 15 weeks since we last debated tourism in the chamber. As the minister with responsibility for tourism, I am delighted to be in a position so soon to report much progress.

One benefit of bringing members back to the topic so early is that the key contributions of tourism are fresh in all our minds and I do not need to labour them. The visitor economy contributes over £4 billion of gross value added to the Scottish economy every year. It impacts on many sectors—food and drink, transport, agriculture and retail—and on all areas of the country, urban and rural. Tourism is truly a national industry. It enhances our reputation worldwide and helps us to attract inward investment. The opportunities over the next few years are unsurpassed, and we are hosting globally important events such as the 2014 Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games.

Since we last spoke on tourism much has been achieved. We have seen the full-year tourism figures for 2011. I commend tourism businesses across the country for achieving a 9 per cent increase in overnight visitor numbers in challenging economic circumstances. Overnight spend is at its highest since 2007. Day-visitor statistics also look good. Day-visitor data for Scotland was produced for the first time in 2011 and showed that 134 million day-tourist trips were taken in Scotland.

In March, recognising the contribution of business visitors, we launched the conference bid fund, which made £2 million available over three years to strengthen bids to bring major conferences to Scotland. In only four months the bid fund, which has received matching contributions from Glasgow City Council, has supported Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and its partners to the tune of £213,500 to compete successfully against other cities, including big hitters such as Tokyo and San Francisco, and bring seven new conferences to Scotland since March.

In all, 16,900 extra delegates will visit Scotland, which will bring an expected economic impact of £27 million. That is a return of £63 for every single pound invested from the bid fund. I hope that all members will pay tribute to all those involved in Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and to all their partners and colleagues and celebrate what appears to be the start of something quite exciting with the bid fund. I would be grateful for suggestions from members about how we can extend the benefits of that fund to all parts of Scotland. I would like to see all our cities and all parts of Scotland benefit. I have asked VisitScotland to work with all other destinations to ensure similar success across Scotland.

Since March, we have seen the winning years become a reality. Last week, huge crowds turned out to see the Olympic torch and stunning images of the torch in Scotland were broadcast far and wide.

On Monday, the world had its first opportunity to see Scotland as depicted in the Disney Pixar film “Brave”, when it premièred in Los Angeles. The First Minister was invited. I am not at all miffed that, as tourism minister, my invitation was not in the post.

The red carpet will be rolled out here in Edinburgh when the European première of “Brave” takes place at the end of the month. There will be screenings of the film at a special event in Inverness the following day, to which I have been invited. I hope that Rhoda Grant and David Stewart will also be invited. If not—

I was going to say that I have been invited and that I would be happy to give my ticket to the minister in the event that he is not invited personally.

There is universal generosity and courtesy. Of course, I hope that Mary Scanlon will also be able to attend. The First Minister yesterday said that my four-year-old daughter will thoroughly enjoy it but that I might find it scary in parts.

The chair of VisitScotland recently said that

“if VisitScotland were to commission a movie, we could not ask for more than Brave”.

I entirely endorse that statement. “Brave” showcases Scotland’s rich history and captures the beauty, nature, magic and humour of Scotland and it is simply the biggest ever film opportunity to get Scotland seen on the worldwide stage. “Brave” is being released in 72 countries and it is anticipated that it will be seen by 200 million people in the United Kingdom and Europe alone. The film has been translated into more than 30 languages, which means that Disney Pixar has had the interesting challenge of finding more than 30 Billy Connolly sound-alikes.

I recently visited VisitScotland’s offices in Leith, where I spoke to some of the staff and saw for myself the efforts being made by VisitScotland to convert cinema-goers into visitors to Scotland. Through a combination of Disney’s worldwide reach and VisitScotland’s marketing expertise, we are confident that “Brave” will boost the Scottish economy by £140 million.

VisitScotland has also been busy launching a revitalised website promoting Scotland across the world. It has worked hard to iron out initial teething issues and the site has received positive feedback from many quarters.

Most important of all, this week I witnessed the tourism industry itself, through the tourism leadership group, launch a new tourism strategy for Scotland. It is a first: a strategy developed for the industry, by the industry. The strategy stresses the importance of industry leadership and participation, of strong leadership in businesses and of all businesses being actively involved in local tourism groups and working together to develop customers’ overall experience.

As all members know, of course, many tourism businesses and business leaders are already community leaders, and perhaps they promote their areas with more vigour and enthusiasm than anybody else. The strategy celebrates what has already been done and invokes and invites colleagues to achieve even more.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance, which is the industry membership body, will bring all those groups together. It will provide leadership and support, and will monitor progress. The strategy shows how growth will come from turning our assets into top-quality experiences, and notes that all of us at the national, local and business levels must know our customers and their expectations, and act on that knowledge. It is relentlessly focused on the customer and the customer’s needs so that they have a memorable and pleasant visit to this country.

I record my sincere thanks to the chair of the tourism leadership group, Stephen Leckie. I think that he is in the chamber somewhere, although I have not spotted him, which is unusual, as he is a person whom it is difficult not to spot.

He is behind you.

Excellent. I welcome him and thank him and all his colleagues on the tourism leadership group for their work on the strategy. The strategy was not devised in a few weeks; it is the result of thousands of hours of work and meetings throughout the country, and is a major step forward.

As the STA moves into the action planning and delivery phase, our agencies will collaborate closely to ensure that we are all working together. As a starting point, VisitScotland and the enterprise agencies have updated the tourism intelligence Scotland “Knowing our Markets” guide to provide businesses with more information on the markets that are highlighted in the strategy. I will work with ministers on areas such as food and drink; route development, which the Conservatives raised, fairly, in their amendment; broadband infrastructure, which is important; and access to finance for investment. All those areas are highlighted in the strategy. I will also look to the enterprise agencies to do what they can to encourage and support investment in tourism, especially in the accommodation sector, although I acknowledge that that is difficult because of competition law.

The development of international trade is a top priority for the Scottish Government. Scottish Development International will continue to develop its overseas activity programme with VisitScotland and will use its extensive expertise and networks on the ground, especially in the international markets that are identified in the strategy. I will look to VisitScotland to further develop genuine partnerships with the tourism industry. That will mean building our campaigns and doing our work not only in the public sector, but with the industry fully engaged and involved in the formulation stage, as it should be if we are to achieve our potential.

Some of the levers that would support the industry are in the hands of the UK Government. The Scottish Government continues to make a strong case for the devolution of air passenger duty. Improving our air connectivity is vital for business and in-bound tourism. We wish to use the devolution of APD to better align aviation taxation to Scottish circumstances and incentivise links to Scotland.

We will continue to voice our concerns about the high VAT rate that the UK Government is maintaining on hospitality and tourism. The uncompetitive VAT rate compared with the rates of our European competitors places Scotland at a significant disadvantage. Some 24 of the 27 European Union countries have made reductions in their VAT rates for the hospitality and tourism sectors. With the existing burden of VAT and other taxes, the Scottish Government would not support the introduction of new taxes on tourism. I have had discussions with the leadership of the City of Edinburgh Council, which is, we understand, looking at a range of other options to increase revenues from tourism. We support the council in that, but the Scottish Government has been clear from the start that we have no plans to add any new tax burdens on the tourism sector.

The UK Government recently sought to impose 20 per cent VAT on the sale of new static caravans, which were previously zero rated. After an excellent meeting with industry stakeholders in a committee room in the Parliament—people involved in the caravan sector throughout the country were involved in that meeting—I wrote to the UK chancellor to set out all the concerns that we heard at it. I am very pleased to say that, following the representations, the UK Government has stepped back from the change.

I express to my Conservative colleagues who are in the chamber my genuine appreciation that concerns were listened to and acted on, which are not easy things to do—I do not wish to make light of or play politics with the issue. The rate is now 5 per cent, which is a welcome reduction from 20 per cent.

I commend the industry for sustaining growth in difficult times and for its proactive and valuable work in defining a new strategy. We will work harder than ever to secure even greater success for our tourism sector. I urge destinations to make the most of the conference bid fund and I call on the UK Government to give further consideration to the competitiveness of our industry.

It is the people who work in the industry who make it succeed. I commend people in tourism all over Scotland for their success and I wish them success in future.

I move,

That the Parliament recognises the achievements of tourism businesses across Scotland in achieving a 14% increase in overnight visitor revenues in 2011; welcomes the new tourism strategy prepared by the industry, for the industry, which focuses on the importance of industry leadership, the quality that visitors encounter across their whole journey in Scotland and using Scotland’s assets to create the experiences that visitors are looking for; commends the efforts of the industry-led Tourism Leadership Group in developing the strategy and recognises the important role to be played by relevant agencies and non-departmental public bodies in supporting the industry’s strategy; renews calls on the UK Government to play its part by devolving air passenger duty and to consider a reduction of VAT rates for the sector; recognises the enormous opportunity for tourism in Scotland presented by The Winning Years and the Disney/Pixar film, Brave, in particular; congratulates Glasgow on its success in winning several additional conferences with the support of the Conference Bid Fund announced in March 2012, and encourages other destinations in Scotland to use the fund to win further business for Scotland.

15:26

I pay tribute to the tourism leadership group’s work and its report, “Tourism Scotland 2020: The future of our industry, in our hands”.

I will talk about a number of aspects of the report, but first I will talk about the Labour amendment. The Government motion rightly points to the report and highlights the opportunities of the winning years, but it is silent on the target to increase tourism by 50 per cent by 2016. We think that it is right to reiterate the target at the outset of the winning years.

As we heard, this year is the year of creative Scotland, the London Olympics, the diamond jubilee and the release of “Brave”. I am delighted that the minister is getting an invitation to the première in Inverness and I very much hope that he has embarrassed the organisers into inviting the rest of us—we might have to stand him some popcorn if that happens. There are huge opportunities this year, next year we will have the year of natural Scotland, and 2014 will be the year of homecoming, the Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games. The winning years present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build our industry and achieve the 2016 target.

The warmth of the welcome that the Olympic torch received as it travelled through Scotland showed that there was the potential to make the most of the London Olympics, but I feel that we have missed that opportunity. The reception was amazing. In areas that I represent, people travelled a huge distance to see the torch. I seemed to be travelling after it for some time. I missed it in Inverness and I missed it in Orkney, but I eventually caught up with it outside the Parliament building. I arrived in Inverness about half an hour after it had left. Thousands of people had converged on the city and people were moving around for hours afterwards, so the torch’s visit provided a much-needed and much-appreciated boost to the businesses around the event. We need to make a success of such opportunities if we are to achieve the 2016 target.

The tourism leadership group’s report mentions other opportunities, such as Scotland’s nature, heritage, destination towns and cities, events and festivals and business tourism. Scotland has much of which it can boast, given its scenery and natural and cultural heritage. Those are timeless attractions, on which we can build. We have the ability to grow green and eco-tourism, too. We have not fully capitalised on the opportunities in that regard, but the year of natural Scotland will provide the ideal opportunity to do so.

The report also mentions business tourism and the Government motion mentions Glasgow’s success in winning additional conferences. I join the minister in congratulating the team that achieved that success. We need to ensure that business tourists have the opportunity to explore the hinterland and further afield. There is also an opportunity in a growing market to provide conference facilities in our smaller cities and towns, which could help to create year-round tourism in many areas.

The report talks about areas in which we could do better. Needless to say, infrastructure is one such area. Internet and mobile phone coverage is identified as an area that requires improvement. I agree. More and more people expect to keep up with work and with family while they are on holiday, using their mobile and internet connections. They are often astonished at the lack of coverage in our more rural areas. The Government has a role to play in that—it needs to ensure that coverage reaches all areas, otherwise we will be at a disadvantage. If people go somewhere and have a bad experience they will not return.

The report also identifies the quality of accommodation, eating out and travel as areas that require attention. We cannot drive up quality without training and the ability to attract the brightest and best to our industry. Despite Scotland’s reputation as a tourist attraction, the hospitality industry does not seem to be a particularly good career choice. That has led to poor workforce retention, motivation and skills development.

We need to understand that tourism is everybody’s business. We all need tourists. Even if it is just a case of someone being stopped and asked for directions, how they respond to tourists can actually make their holiday experience. Last week I visited First ScotRail’s training academy in Glasgow. I heard about the emphasis that it puts on customer service, which is included in the training at all levels. It understands that the transport industry is part of the tourism industry and it takes that responsibility seriously. I met a class of apprentices in customer services in the Parliament last year. I was lucky enough to meet them again last week in the academy. I was absolutely amazed at how they have grown in confidence and at how they have really taken on board their learning experience. They completed their Duke of Edinburgh awards as part of the course, which really complemented their training. They are a group of young people who have the ability and skills to be ambassadors for our tourism industry.

The report also highlights leadership and collaboration, as well as marketing, as key to the step change that is required. In areas where collaboration works well, so does marketing. Take the example of the Cairngorms national park—I have spoken about it in the chamber before. The Cairngorms Business Partnership is a collaboration between the Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce, Cairngorms hostels and a destination management organisation. They work together to provide their own tourism offer. The involvement of the chamber of commerce means that all businesses—not just those that are recognised as tourism businesses—have a role to play. I was really impressed by the way that such a wide range of businesses worked together to manage their market and market their industry. They were aware of their interdependence. The top-of-the-range hotel knew that the bunkhouse also had to provide quality and service so that people using those facilities would return to the area.

Their tourism offer also covers a range of activities from high intensity sport to wildlife tourism to leisurely breaks—something for all the family. The Cairngorms Business Partnership also includes retail as part of its organisation. We often forget that retail is hugely important to the visitor offer and that we have a lot to learn. It struck me that retailers probably need to do the same thing as the First ScotRail academy in terms of training to convince their own people that they are part of the tourism experience.

As touched upon in the Conservative amendment, the report talks about more direct air routes to and from our growing market. The route development fund would make a big difference—it was certainly successful in the past at attracting new routes to Scotland and to some of our more outlying areas.

The report also asks for improved transport infrastructure throughout Scotland—better roads, rail and ferry routes. We need to find ways of encouraging visitors to travel throughout Scotland. Our rural areas are not just for the intrepid traveller—they should be an enjoyable experience for all. Other countries do it so well—the plane meets the bus and everyone can find their way about without hunting for the connecting public transport.

We have seen visitor numbers increase because of staycations. That is due to problems with the economy—people are looking for shorter breaks closer to home. We need them to continue to holiday in Scotland, especially when the euro may provide cheap breaks abroad. We need to work on what has happened and build on those trends.

The report worryingly says that

“if the long-term trend in overnight visitor spend witnessed since 1973 was to continue, we would see ... no real growth in the coming decade”.

We need to do more and learn from bodies such as the Scotch Whisky Association that provide a good tourist experience.

I welcome the tourism leadership group’s strategy document. It is good that the industry is taking matters into its own hands, as that can only be a benefit. However, we need to ensure that the small businesses that form the backbone of our tourism industry are included in the strategy. We also need the Government to drive forward on the 2016 target. With an industry and Government moving towards growth, there is an unprecedented opportunity provided by the winning years for our tourism industry to grow and make a contribution to our economy.

I move amendment S4M-03400.1, to insert at end:

“, and urges the Scottish Government to retain the target to grow tourism by 50% by 2016.”

15:35

I, too, welcome the increase in tourism business that the minister outlined. I share other members’ views on the Olympic torch relay, which has undoubtedly been a phenomenal success. I did not see the torch in the Highlands, but I saw it at the back door of the Parliament as I drove in early one morning. I will be at the première of Pixar’s “Brave” in Inverness with my five-year-old granddaughter Alba, who is very much looking forward to it. Like the minister, I hope that the film will help us to achieve the 50 per cent target.

The Scottish Conservatives will always support initiatives to improve and increase tourism. In the Highlands, tourism accounts for 20 per cent of jobs, which is more than in the rest of Scotland, so tourism is even more significant in the area that I represent. The minister is right that the industry is about people. Last week, when I was staying in a hotel in Thurso, a guest came in who was unsure about what to drink. The experienced waitress said to him, “Well, you look like a Dark Island man to me,” and that is exactly what he got. I am sure that that will increase sales of drink from Orkney. That is an example of somebody giving advice and knowing their job well.

The member makes an important point about Scottish products being available in our hotels. I have sometimes been in hotels in which there has been a disappointing lack of Scottish real ales.

I discovered this Dark Island ale, which looked like a pint of Guinness to me, but I am told on good authority that it is well worth trying.

On the point about workforce retention, skills and customer service, there is sometimes an attitude in the Highlands that is almost as if people are in service, when in fact they are public servants. Many people provide excellent customer service, but it is for hotel owners and others in the tourism industry to ensure that staff are well trained—as I know they do—and to value those staff.

I have one good story and a second one that is a could-do-better. The good news story is on the whisky industry, which I again commend for its incredible contribution to the Scottish economy and in particular its contribution to tourism. More than half the distilleries in Scotland have visitor centres, the majority of which are four-star attractions. The distilleries attract 1.3 million visitors, 87 per cent of whom come from outside Scotland and 62 per cent from outside the UK. In 2010, £27 million was spent. Distilleries provide 640 jobs in the visitor centres and more than £30 million in value to our economy. On average, for every £100 million of Scotch whisky exports, there is an associated £20 million spend directly on tourism.

Starting in November, there will be an exhibition in the Parliament’s main hall for almost three months to mark the 100th anniversary of the Scotch Whisky Association. At last week’s meeting of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on Scotch whisky, which I was delighted to see was attended by many civil servants, we had a presentation from Ian Urquhart of Gordon and MacPhail in Elgin on the spirit of Speyside whisky festival.

Given that it has more than 50 per cent of malt distilleries, Moray is very well placed to host this four-day festival with 350 events that include wildlife and whisky walks, a “Dramble along the Spey” and “A Bacon Roll and Four Nips”. There is something for everyone at all times of the day and night. Eighty per cent of visitors stay for at least four nights and the festival is an excellent example of local distilleries, local businesses and people working together.

The second issue that I want to raise is walkers in Scotland. I do not think that those particular visitors are valued as highly as they should be; in fact, climbers, cyclists and walkers have considerable spending power and prefer to see and experience Scotland by walking, climbing or cycling rather than through city breaks at our excellent hotels and other accommodation. That market has enormous potential and should not be overlooked.

However, when I was in Lairg at the weekend, I was told that they are taking bookings from walkers from various European countries, who were also asking about the accommodation and shops along the 70-mile Sutherland trail from Lochinver to Tongue. As the minister knows, there might be excellent accommodation in both Tongue and Lochinver, as well as Inchnadamph Lodge, which is less than a kilometre from the trail, but unlike the west Highland way and the Speyside way there are no shops, services, hotels or bed and breakfasts along the trail. I am also concerned at the way in which this stunning trail along the old drover roads, which is highlighted on many websites and has been developed by Cameron McNeish, does not even register on the VisitScotland website. In fact, searching that website for the Sutherland trail brings up only two results, both to do with a flat in Talmine.

Moreover, anyone who starts the walk from Lairg has to get to Lochinver or Tongue first. When someone phones up the hotel in Lairg and asks for travel to Lochinver to be arranged, the people at the hotel have to tell them, “Well, there used to be a post bus, but it doesn’t run anymore”. There is now a post van, but I would not recommend huddling in the back among the letters. The councillor in north-west Sutherland also confirmed to me that all the community councils in the region are dissatisfied with the way in which VisitScotland constantly ignores the area.

The new Hebridean way will run 203 miles from the Butt of Lewis to Vatersay. Funding has been secured for that project, but I ask the minister to ensure that when these fabulous, stunning and amazing walks come on-stream in Scotland VisitScotland gets involved, helps to market them, provides advice about accommodation and so on. I am sorry to say that such support is not available at the moment.

Given that parts of the Highlands of Scotland remain the last areas of wilderness in Europe, we should be able to manage and support visitors—the hill walkers, the climbers and the cyclists who will use these huge new walks of 70 and 203 miles apiece—and make them feel welcome and safe as they enjoy our stunning scenery and hospitality. I ask the minister to ask VisitScotland to talk and listen to people in north-west Sutherland and to support the walks as well as the tourists, who do not all want to stay in four-star hotels.

I move amendment S4M-03400.3, to leave out from “renews” to end and insert:

“recognises the enormous opportunity for tourism in Scotland presented by The Winning Years and the Disney/Pixar film, Brave, in particular; congratulates Glasgow on its success in winning several additional conferences with the support of the Conference Bid Fund announced in March 2012; encourages other destinations in Scotland to use the fund to win further business for Scotland; calls on the Scottish Government to use the powers currently at its disposal to establish an air route development fund and to examine how the business rates system could be used in order to assist the tourist sector, and believes that there needs to be a substantial change to tackle the skills disconnect between employers and employees and help to ensure that tourism is seen as an attractive career.”

We move to the open debate and I ask for speeches of six minutes.

15:43

As a member of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, I am delighted to speak in this debate, particularly as it comes on the back of yesterday’s announcement that Royal Troon will once again host the open golf championship in 2016. Of course, I would say that as someone who comes from Ayr and is a golfer. When, at lunchtime, I attended a meeting of the cross-party group on golf, I was delighted to discover that golf itself, which generates £223 million in revenue and supports 4,000 jobs, is to become a specific business sector under the VisitScotland umbrella.

Not only are we hosting the open, but Scotland itself is open. Last year’s figures show that although international visits are down, spend is up; that domestic and UK visitors and spend are up; and that, in 2011, there was a 9 per cent increase in overnight visitors and a 14 per cent increase in spend.

Although we are open now in the summer, we have big campaigns and focused seasonal campaigns, such as winter white, to increase trade in quiet months and show that Scotland is always open for visitor business, all year round.

Tourism—the visitor economy—is a major income sector for Scotland. If one has any doubts about that, I suggest they look at the briefing that we received today from the Scottish Sports Association—sport being a billion-pound industry in itself. The sector sits in the first division of our economy, along with food and drink, life sciences, renewables, oil and gas, and engineering and manufacturing. “Destination Scotland” it is and will be. While we continue to look at the continual improvement processes that allow us to consider our local structures for tourism, the quality of tourism and focused marketing, let there be no doubt that the new tourism strategy—which is, as has been said, a credit to the TLG—is a strategy of leadership and growth that shows signs of the inestimable success that we might expect of the sector. Tourism in Scotland, under that leadership strategy, is important because it is the creator of a current annual spend of £4 billion—a figure that is growing. Compared to tourism in the rest of the UK, tourism in Scotland is a disproportionate contributor that supports 200,000 jobs. It is the harbinger of a large number of jobs in our rural economies, as Mary Scanlon said.

The major international economic downturn could have set into turmoil our early aspiration—which was set in vastly different economic circumstances—to grow the sector by 50 per cent by 2016. However, we continue to succeed in racing to meet substantial growth in visitor business. There is little doubt that over recent years there has been a change in attitude in the sector; a change to a “can do, will do” approach. I applaud—as the minister did—the Scottish Tourism Alliance and VisitScotland for bringing about that change in attitude.

I have recently visited tourism organisations in South Scotland where I, too, received an invitation. I was excited to be invited to meet ABBA, until I found out that it was not Benny and the gang who sang “Waterloo”, but the Ayrshire Bed and Breakfast Association. It was exciting, just the same.

Let us welcome the 15.7 million trips to Scotland last year, the 63.1 million nights spent in Scotland and, as I mentioned, the £4 billion-worth of spend in 2011. Let us applaud—as the minister did—the leadership of Glasgow and other places in securing much-needed business and conference tourism.

As I flick through the spring edition of “EventScotland News” and look at the many positive headlines, I get somewhat excited; a feeling that is couched alongside pride in what Scotland is doing in the sector. Glasgow is to bid for the 2018 youth Olympic games, the Scottish open championship has announced a new title sponsor, and Glasgow is to host the 2015 international Paralympic swimming championships. We have had the Curtis cup and we will again have Celtic connections. We will also have the European 470 class boat championships at Largs. Today we will have the big concert at Stirling. There is much more going on in Scotland than we have ever seen. All those events are embroidery to the winning years tapestry, which is interwoven with individual, non-packaged holidays.

The TLG strategy is in place, the challenges and the aspirations have been drawn up and organisations are being improved to underpin them. However, one can imagine how much better all those achievements would be if we were to be released from the yoke of the excessive VAT charges that have been imposed on the sector, freed from the shackles of an antediluvian visa process and released from the pernicious and iniquitous air passenger duty, which is a bolted lock on air travel and a blight on the huge possibilities for airports such as Prestwick international.

Brand marketing is very important in the tourist industry—

I ask the member to draw to a close, please.

I am just about to finish.

Scotland is a brand. Brands that have stories have meaning, and brands that have meaning have impact and resonance. Our tourism industry has a big story to tell, and the way in which we tell it means that Scotland will have impact and resonance.

15:50

From the Falkirk wheel to Lanarkshire’s great country parks, there is a wide range of premier visitor attractions in my Central Scotland region, which I am only too happy to highlight. With the summer recess approaching, I hope that other members will recognise those attractions too.

However, today’s debate is about the visitor economy and the steps that we can take to grow tourism now and in the years ahead, with Labour restating the target of growing tourism in Scotland by 50 per cent by 2016.

Scotland is a great place to visit and to do business; the rise in revenue from overnight visits at a time of difficulty in the world economy is testament to that fact. Members all round the chamber share a desire to build on the successes, to develop the visitors’ welcome to Scotland and to secure our status as a world-class destination.

The World Economic Forum maintains a travel and tourism competitiveness index that examines different parts of the economy in three broad subject areas: the regulatory framework; infrastructure and the business environment; and resources including natural, cultural and human resources. I will address those three broad areas today, starting with regulation.

When we talk about regulation, we often talk about the pressures on industry, and we forget that more elemental types of regulation can be taken for granted. For example, visitors to Scotland can expect high standards of cleanliness and hygiene, with safeguards in place to protect public health and the environment. They can be confident that all staff who handle food will have a minimum Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland food-handler certificate and that all licensed premises employ a trained personal-license holder. If people travel from elsewhere in the European Union, they can apply for a European health insurance card, and people can also expect the authorities to take measures to prevent low-level crime in our public places.

The simple truth is that the high standards that we can provide in Scotland, backed by a regime of regulation and inspection, are not replicated in every part of the world, and so we have to maintain the good standards that we have set.

The second part of the part of the WEF index relates to infrastructure and the business environment. Tourism infrastructure in Scotland is well developed; we have a wealth of visitor attractions that are backed up with brown signage, local tourism partnerships and information offices.

We also have a dedicated Government agency that is committed to tourism, thereby reinforcing the broader growth agenda that is set out in the Scottish Government’s economic strategy. There is widespread access to ATMs and our broadband network is being improved and expanded—although many of us would like much more progress to be made throughout more of the country.

However, I am concerned that our transport infrastructure is falling behind, and that our road and rail networks do not match those of our near neighbours and competitors. I welcome the investment in Central Scotland’s motorways, which will improve the M8, M73 and M74, but I ask the Scottish Government to be much clearer about the timetable for completion of those works.

I agree with the Scottish Government that there should be a capital injection into the economy to support the recovery. However, if it was not for the decisions that were made in the previous session of Parliament about capital spending, we would today be investing in airport rail links in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Will the member give way on that point?

No. I am tight for time. I am sorry. I will cover that point next.

The performance of our ground and air transport is vital to our competitiveness as a destination, and we must ensure that there are excellent connections between our major cities and airports.

The WEF index also assesses a country’s natural, cultural and human resources. There is no doubt about Scotland’s natural beauty and our rich culture. However, I stress the importance of our human resources—our people and their skills. The tourism and hospitality sector requires significant investment in skills and training, which must be more widely reflected in the pay, conditions and status of staff. In the current economic climate, the Government has geared the 25,000 modern apprenticeships that are contracted each year through Skills Development Scotland towards young people. However, the Government has said that it will continue to support adult apprenticeships in key sectors, and although tourism is a key sector, there is no funding for apprenticeships in tourism or hospitality for the 25-plus age group.

We must strengthen the welcome that visitors receive, not just from those who operate attractions or who work in the hospitality industry but in taxis, on trains, in shops and around the country, because we all have a duty to promote Scotland and all that it can offer.

We are in an extremely good position relative to other countries in Europe and further afield, but we are not yet in as strong a position as many of us would like to be. That will take sustained investment in Scotland’s infrastructure and a concerted effort to turn a warm Scottish welcome into a start-to-finish unforgettable experience for all who visit the country.

15:56

I join the minister in welcoming the work that the Scottish Tourism Alliance has published in the past week, which was encouraging for me to read because the East Dunbartonshire tourism partnership that was established back in 2009 emphasises that business and community must co-operate with each other and that we have a partnership responsibility for delivering growth in tourism. That is exactly what we have heard from the Scottish Tourism Alliance. Of course, I am not saying that East Dunbartonshire got in there three years ahead of the alliance, but we are an exciting and vibrant area.

On that note, I would like to take members on a tour of my constituency of Strathkelvin and Bearsden. I know that many will ask why anyone would want to come as a tourist to a suburb of Glasgow. It is extremely important that Glasgow’s strengths are realised. As well as being a top 10 European destination city and the third city in the UK for conferences, it is a place where the average stay of visitors is nine nights. Those strengths of Glasgow, my near neighbour, are something that Strathkelvin and Bearsden, its suburb, can benefit from.

I, too, have been reading briefings. I remind the member that Glasgow is the UK’s second-top retail destination.

My credit card will attest to that, no problem.

As I was saying, Strathkelvin and Bearsden is just next door to the fantastic city of Glasgow. In fact, Strathkelvin and Bearsden now markets itself as a gateway to the great outdoors. We believe that we can benefit from all the tourism potential of Glasgow and invite folk to come to our area.

I will now tell members of the wonders of my constituency. Kirkintilloch is the canal capital of Scotland. It is also a walkers are welcome town. Bishopbriggs is one of the most cycle-friendly towns in Scotland. Last Sunday, I was honoured to open the third East Dunbartonshire cycle festival. One of the sponsors of the day, Samsung, said afterwards that it was one of the most successful days that it had had in its Olympic hope relay heroes campaign.

In Bearsden, we have the Antonine wall, which has been a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site since 2008. I well remember studying Latin at school in the 1970s when the remains of the Roman baths at Bearsden Cross were discovered. I should, of course, point out that that is not in the constituency of Strathkelvin and Bearsden; it is across the road in the constituency of Clydebank and Milngavie.

I want to talk about the growth in tourism potential in East Dunbartonshire and Strathkelvin and Bearsden, where our businesses are taking things very seriously. In particular, I want to mention the rebound initiative in Lennoxtown, which I am sure I have spoken about before in the chamber. It is a social enterprise initiative that not only encourages cyclists to come to the Lennox forest for a day’s cycling but is aiming to build a purpose-built hotel. There will be cycle facilities for the people who come, but they will also be able to go out into Lennoxtown and use the pubs, restaurants and other facilities there, which will help to build the local economy. We know from the evidence that cyclists want to come for two or three days to fully explore the paths.

I finish by commenting on something that is very personal to me. Radical historians and people who enjoy knowing the radical history of Scotland should come to my leafy suburb. They will not believe it. In Bishopbriggs, we have the Thomas Muir trail, and Lennoxtown had the first co-op that gave a divvy, in 1812. In my home village, the Westerton garden suburb, which will be celebrating its centenary next year, was the first garden suburb in Scotland where everything was owned co-operatively.

I invite members to come with me in October, when I intend to have a staycation in my constituency of Strathkelvin and Bearsden. I am sure that a week will not be enough for me to get round all the delights.

Thank you. There is an invitation for everyone.

16:02

I will now take my friend and colleague Fiona McLeod to the real outdoors of Aberdeenshire West.

I begin by thanking the minister for not dipping into my constituency in his opening speech. I know that he is probably waiting in anticipation for a tour round my constituency, as happened in our previous debate on the subject. I think that he put on a “Brave” face about not being at the opening of the film in Hollywood. I am sure that his daughter, little four-year-old Natasha, will protect him during the scary bits when he goes to see it in Inverness.

I will now take members to my constituency. I was fortunate to be at Balmoral—that is, the real Balmoral, and Balmoral castle—when the Olympic torch went through my constituency. It was a wonderful event and the weather was kind to us. We went from Balmoral to Ballater, from Ballater to Aboyne, from Aboyne to Kincardine O’Neil, and from Kincardine O’Neil to Banchory. The streets were lined with people waving their saltires. There were a few union jacks, I must confess, but there you go. It was patriotic and well attended and it was a wonderful occasion.

Let me take members to my constituency and what it has for people to enjoy in the great outdoors. In and around my constituency, we have about 34 Munros. We have visitor centres throughout, including a wonderful one in Oyne, at the foot of Bennachie. We have the fantastic mountain bike trail at Pitfichie—that is another wonderful name in my constituency—near Monymusk. People who want to visit woodlands can go to Durris, where there are wonderful woods and forests and people can go mountain biking and rambling or even do some small-hill walking.

My constituency is awash with tourist attractions. We have royal Deeside, with fantastic salmon and sea trout fishing, which is very good this year. I tell anglers who might wish to visit the constituency of Aberdeenshire West that people are making fantastic catches on Deeside. We have Strathdon, which is not to be outshone by its royal Deeside neighbour. It has lots to offer, such as forest walks, hill walks and fantastic scenery. The area is awash with outdoor activity.

We have stone circles from Banchory to Tarland, Aboyne and Echt—people can go round my constituency to see them. We are famous for the battle in which Macbeth was fatally wounded in 1057, at Lumphanan. He bore no resemblance to Shakespeare’s Macbeth—it was the true Macbeth at the battle in 1057.

The Scotch Whisky Association is celebrating its centenary, and I was a guest at its centenary party in Edinburgh. To those who think that the whisky trade is just for the purist, I say that whisky cocktails have been introduced. My hand was shaking and the glass was full of ice and I am not a whisky drinker, but people told me that I would enjoy it: enjoy it, I did. I was advised at that event that, to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee, Royal Lochnagar distillery—in my constituency at Balmoral—has produced 60 bottles of whisky that are priced at £100,000 each. I am sure that the Queen was gifted one to celebrate her royal jubilee.

My constituency has many attractions in the great outdoors. We have camping and caravan sites. I urge everyone in the chamber to think about getting in touch with their MPs and with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask that VAT be brought down to 5 per cent for the tourism industry. We in Scotland need that. We need to inject money into and to support our tourism sector. The chancellor missed a great opportunity to inject investment into the economy.

Presiding Officer, I have taken you round some—but not all—of my constituency. If you are interested, I would be delighted to take you round my constituency any time.

I urge members to look at what is going on in my constituency in the summer—in particular, to look at the Echt show. The new Echt show song is a version of Take That’s song “The Flood”. I sincerely hope that the weather does not match the song and that the young farmers’ intentions are achieved. The Echt show song has had 13,500 hits, and I encourage members to view it on YouTube and to encourage others to view it, so that it is a much bigger YouTube top hit.

I thank Mr Robertson for the kind invitation to visit his constituency this summer, which I may or may not take up. Nonetheless, I am sure that his constituency is enchanting.

I call Hanzala Malik, who has a generous six minutes.

16:08

I welcome the opportunity to take part in the debate, because tourism is a key part of the Scottish economy, as many members have said. A vibrant and thriving tourism industry is essential if we are to grow our economy in the years ahead.

The additional conferences that Glasgow has recently won, with the conference bid fund’s support, are welcome. That underlines Glasgow’s status as one of the best conference destinations in the UK. I congratulate Glasgow on that.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance recently published “Tourism Scotland 2020”—a strategy document that highlights the pressing need to increase the number of direct flights to and from Scotland. I have worked to reinstate the Pakistan International Airlines route between Glasgow and Lahore, which are twin cities, and I share the alliance’s enthusiasm for new routes. I am very supportive of driving that element of our business aspirations.

Mr Ewing’s motion refers to devolving air passenger duty, but it fails to mention that the Scottish Government scrapped the air route development fund, which would have supported new air routes. Through that fund, the Scottish Government had the power to support new routes and grow our tourism. It is worth reconsidering the decision on that fund, and I look forward to the minister’s comments on that point.

The Federation of Small Businesses estimates that 23 per cent of its Scottish members come from the tourism, hotel, restaurant and bar sectors. The Scottish Government refers in its motion to “industry leadership”, but I am not fully convinced that the tourism leadership group is truly representative of the tourism sector. I implore the Scottish Government to use every effort to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are properly represented at the top table when our tourism sector is being discussed, whether inside or outside the leadership group.

The quality of goods that are sold in Scotland is another issue that we must address. When visitors to Scotland purchase goods from our museums, visitor centres or shops such as those on the Royal Mile, we must ensure that they are of good quality. However, more important, we should encourage them to sell Scottish goods.

I encourage Hanzala Malik to enjoy the taste of Grampian festival when he visits my constituency.

Dennis Robertson is going to get me into trouble with my imams.

United Kingdom Border Agency immigration clearance officers have not been helpful with visa applications; they have refused many applications, which has offended our friends overseas. We need to address that situation, so I ask the Scottish Government to make representations in that regard. We must try to encourage tourism rather than discourage it.

I think that all members in the chamber agree about the importance of tourism and treating our tourist guests with respect. Does Hanzala Malik believe that it would be better if the Scottish Parliament made the decisions in that regard, rather than another place?

Again, a member is trying to get me into trouble.

The issue is the policy on immigration rather than who makes the decisions. Tourism is important for us because it is such a big part of our trade. However, the current policy means that we sometimes face the wrath of friends who have been here in the past and who we hope will return in the future. The refusal of visa applications offends families, which we should not be in the business of doing.

I have one or two other observations. I congratulate the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, whose chair is Councillor Gordon Matheson and whose chief executive is Scott Taylor. They and their board have made great strides in that area of work. It has taken them many years of hard work to get to where they are. However, we need to recognise that they have got there. I hope that their achievement will encourage other cities to try to match their aspirations, which I think is important.

Glasgow welcomes many tourists and visitors from around the world, and it enjoys the luxury of having modern, up-to-date visitor attractions such as the Riverside museum and the Kelvingrove art gallery—recent figures show that they have both attracted around one million people. There is also the Glasgow gallery of modern art, which has attracted 600,000 people, the People’s palace and the Burrell collection—the list goes on. The beauty is that all of those places are free to enter, but we sometimes do not tell our visitors about such places.

I am keen that the minister address three of the points that I have raised: the difficulties that some people face in coming to Scotland; how we can encourage new air routes to be established; and, last but not least, the issue of the quality of goods that people purchase when they are here. If we continue to sell to tourists goods of the quality that we currently peddle, it will reflect badly on our tourism industry.

16:15

It is a privilege to take part in the debate, and it has been great to hear examples of Scotland’s offer for tourists.

The figures released by VisitScotland continue to provide encouragement for the Scottish economy. VisitScotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and all the other organisations that are involved in the tourist industry should be highly commended for their work in maintaining such a vibrant sector during really difficult times, in making the most of people who go on staycations, and in encouraging people from the rest of these isles, and further afield, to make Scotland their destination when money is tight. They have done very well.

It is great to hear about other parts of Scotland, but members will not be surprised to hear that I will spend some time talking about my constituency in Dundee. Dundee is a city in transformation; it is changing from jute, jam and journalism to a vibrant city that hopes to attract tourists to our culture and innovative industries, and to the offer in our neighbourhood.

The key to the city’s transformation is very much the people of Dundee and their aspirations. That is encapsulated in the new V&A at Dundee, which will be one of the biggest tourist draws in Scotland and probably across Europe. However, when I talk about Dundee, and when Hanzala Malik talks about Glasgow, it is important that our various tourist offers should not be considered as individual attractions—they are much stronger if they are offered as a whole.

My colleague Graeme Dey talked about bringing tourists to see Glamis castle in his constituency on the back of the Disney Pixar film “Brave”. I hope that Dundee, too, will benefit, with those tourists spending some time in my constituency. As I look around the chamber, I see colleagues from other areas in which there are tourist attractions that Dundee can benefit from. Rod Campbell’s constituency contains some of the finest golf courses in Scotland; his constituents will benefit from the V&A, because people who come to get a bit of culture will also bring their golf clubs and head to St Andrews. Equally, when the V&A is established I hope that people who come to play golf at Scotland’s oldest golf courses will decide to come to Dundee too to see our taste of tourism and what we have to offer.

In order for that to happen, of course, we must have connections—between our cities, and between our cities and our urban areas. Our vision for Dundee, in terms of the waterfront redevelopment, is to ensure that when people come to our city—whether they come specifically as tourists to Dundee or are passing through—they get the best possible offer. However, it is crucial that we have links not only with St Andrews, Carnoustie and the other areas around Dundee, but with Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

Whenever more tourists come to Dundee, I genuinely believe that the rest of Scotland will benefit, too. The Ryder cup and the Commonwealth games will be of particular advantage to the area in which the event takes place, but if we can get the connections right and ensure that the offer we provide is a holistic one for the whole of Scotland, we can encourage tourists to spend much more time in Scotland, and we will all be winners.

Dundee’s transformation to ensure that it has an offer to compete with Edinburgh and Glasgow has been very much a partnership between Scottish National Party-led Dundee City Council, the Scottish Government and a host of local businesses that have worked to revitalise and revolutionise the heart of Dundee city centre. The important parts of that are not just the Victoria and Albert, but the transformation of the train station and so on. All that is very important.

It is a genuine shame that the same is not happening in Aberdeen, where the current Labour-Conservative coalition appears to be turning its back on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform that city. I hope that those councillors change their minds. Although I represent Dundee and it might seem that the proposals for Aberdeen would be very much to the advantage of Aberdeen city, a strong Aberdeen city is good for Dundee.

If a son of Dundee offered £50 million for a project that was backed by the majority of Dundonians, what does the member think Dundee City Council’s reaction would be?

I think that Dundee City Council would stand up and make it absolutely clear that Dundee is open for business. I hope that the Labour-Conservative council in Aberdeen changes its mind, because Scotland’s tourism offer will be stronger if it is connected Scotland-wide.

I congratulate VisitScotland on its efforts to ensure that Scotland’s offer is advertised as widely as possible, particularly as part of the Disney Pixar film “Brave”. It should be commended.

16:21

I, too, am pleased to take part in the debate and I have enjoyed many of the speeches, especially the lyrical one from Dennis Robertson.

Last night, I was delighted to see, at long last, Dalgety Bay on the real map of Scotland during the weather forecast. However, I did not like the look of the weather for any of us, especially now that we are at the weekend.

I am really pleased that my constituency has beaches, such as Aberdour, that have won blue flag awards. The Lochore meadows were transformed from the pit bings into a wonderful facility. For anyone who wishes to make a day visit to somewhere that is not far from the M9, I recommend Lochore meadows. This weekend, the Mille Alba will bring cyclists from across Europe to my part of Fife.

I am disappointed that Scottish Government ministers have not made any progress in re-establishing a passenger ferry between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. That was a great gateway for people from Europe coming to visit our part of Scotland. I urge the minister in the nicest possible tone to take that back to his colleagues and ask them to put some energy into that, because that service would be welcomed by many people across Scotland.

I note that the strategy—I read it very quickly last night after my colleague Rhoda Grant had sent it to me—contains VisitScotland’s recognition that it needs to ensure that the hotels in our capital city and elsewhere provide value for money. That is critical.

Members might like to do what I did last night. I checked the reviews for a number of hotels and was very disappointed to read that a number of Edinburgh hotels have “terrible” marked next to reviews that have been written by travellers to our country. That is simply not good enough. It means that the regulators that are responsible for assessing quality are simply not doing their job; they are letting Scotland down. I hope that the minister will challenge the regulators on that.

Among the comments were ones such as:

“Make sure your vaccinations are up to date!!....”

There are some fuller comments about that, which I will not go into. Another comment I read was:

“Everything fine but you must not be from eastern europe”.

Another comment was:

“Accommodation ok, room small but clean. Nice bathroom. ... The only problem we noticed was the owners attitude. If you are e.g German they are ok for you”.

The reviewer thought that the owners did not care much for eastern European people.

Does the member accept that the comments on websites are not always entirely objective and that one bad experience can be overstated?

I accept that. It is always something to be warned about, but when more than 50 people condemn one hotel, the minister needs to have people who will investigate that. We rely on repeat business. Many moons ago, I did bed and breakfast and I know how important it is to get repeat business. My next-door neighbour who does bed and breakfast depends heavily on repeat business. The first tranche of hotels in Edinburgh are rated as excellent, but I ask the minister to look at the latter half of the hotels in that category.

I accept John Mason’s point about the health warning that goes with online reviews, but we should not ignore them either. I travel regularly across Europe and I know that comments on value for money, standards of cleanliness, investment in the rooms and so on colour what I purchase.

Whenever I prepare a speech for a debate such as this, I pay heed to the needs of disabled people. The VisitScotland board minutes that I read reported that the accessible tourism initiative had identified staff attitude as the main barrier that is experienced here by visitors with disabilities. Businesses can make a difference, and I am pleased that VisitScotland is focusing on that and recommending that businesses improve staff attitudes, improve customer service and address any physical barriers.

It was noted that visitors with disabilities require more information. I applaud the board for its proposal—which I hope that it will follow through—to introduce an accessible tourism category to the Scottish thistle awards. There will possibly be a separate award initially, with it being mainstreamed into the main awards in the longer term. The board’s plan to consider an STA category for accessible tourism is also excellent.

I understand that an events programme has been developed to deliver the message to the industry, as the perception that accessible tourism initiatives will cost money remains one of the main objections to change. A film is being developed—we have heard a lot about films this week, but this is another good initiative by VisitScotland.

I am extremely grateful to Helen Eadie for raising the matter. The work that VisitScotland is doing to allow people with a disability to enjoy a holiday is first class and we are determined to pursue it. I am in total agreement with everything that she has said in that respect.

Thank you very much, minister. I am grateful for that and hope that that work continues. I applaud VisitScotland and will support it to do what it can. In turn, I hope that the minister and others will support me in trying to get eastern European people to come to Scotland so that we can share our knowledge and experience with eastern European visitors here.

16:28

I declare an interest as someone with a great many years’ experience in the tourism and hospitality industry in the Highlands. I pay tribute to those who have spoken before me, who have highlighted a number of Scotland’s attractions, taking us on a kind of verbal tour around the country.

Tourism is hugely important to Scotland as a whole, and comparatively it plays an even greater part in the mixed economy of the Highlands and Islands. That is a part of Scotland with natural beauty and an incredible landscape, which I am sure will feature strongly in the special promotion of the year of natural Scotland, next year.

Mary Scanlon has left the chamber, but I must take issue with some of the things that she said about the Sutherland way. We have to be respectful of the environment that we have in Scotland. We have to be smart about recognising the areas that need to have cafes or facilities, but we also have to recognise the special, wild nature of the land that we have. There are three identified geoparks in Scotland, and they are all in the Highlands and Islands. All of them make specific requests in terms of relevant development. The idea that the north-west Sutherland way should have a string of facilities along it makes my—well, I will say simply that that is wild Scotland.

Scotland attracts visitors from across the world and, in the past couple of years, a growing number from across the United Kingdom. Those visitors help to maintain 25,000 jobs across 3,000 businesses in my region and bring £1.2 billion every year from the region into the economy, and it is the importance of the economy that we are talking about.

By talking about Glasgow attracting conferences, Hanzala Malik reminded me that, on 9 September 1997, which was only two days before the extraordinary vote for devolution, Glasgow hosted the annual congress of the American travel trade, with several thousand delegates. The keynote speaker was Mrs Thatcher, who took the time on “Newsnight” to tell Scots that they should vote no the following Thursday. However, we are grateful that Glasgow has the facilities to take that size of conference.

Scotland is famous for its hospitality and its friendly people. To combat some of Helen Eadie’s comments, I should say that our reputation is deserved. There may be instances such as those that she talked about, but Scotland will never be perfect in everybody’s eyes. It is too easy for someone to go out and find a place that they do not like, but they do not know that, the night before, other people have had a really good time there. The spit-and-sawdust pub can offer up as great a night’s entertainment for some people as a five-star hotel can do for a different clientele, offering a different service. We have to be careful about how we decide on these matters. We also have to be helpful. Do we want to hammer a business that is probably suffering really badly? It, too, plays a part in the economy and needs help rather than poor recognition.

That people recognise our hospitality and the friendliness of our people is evidenced by the extraordinarily high levels of repeat business that we achieve in Scotland generally and in the Highlands and Islands in particular. The figures are there for everyone to see. Familiar faces of people who have become addicted to holidays here appear regularly. That is still a factor of our industry. I have been in the hotel trade so long that I know the grandchildren of folk who stayed many years before. That is the legacy that we can and should build on. It is ironic, in some ways, that the industry should be sustained by such levels of repeat visits, given that employment opportunities in the industry often seem to be short-term and seasonal.

There have been many changes over the years and the recent festivals that the Highlands and Islands play host to are amazing. RockNess, Loopallu and the Insider festival that was held last weekend and was attended by 1,000 people, who stayed for three or four days, might seem like small beer compared with festivals such as T in the Park, but they are right for that part of Scotland and they are due recognition.

Anyone who has attended some of the smaller book festivals will know that they are hugely personal affairs, and contribute hugely to the economy. More and more are being organised outside what we choose to call the peak holiday period.

Although “Brave”, the now-released Pixar animation, is clearly getting global attention, I would like to thank members who recently supported my motion on the Hansel of Film, which came from Shetland and takes the story of Shetland and small film-makers around the United Kingdom. It is perhaps not the same in terms of marketing, but it is just as important and such projects often capture the imagination of visitors when they come here.

Tourism is an industry that does not stand alone. Like steel making and shipbuilding, it depends on all other sectors in order to flourish. Local authorities have much to contribute by keeping the infrastructure and public facilities open and in good order. The education of our children, especially in music and language, has an enormous role to play. Crofting and fishing are among our main attractions and we should never forget that folk on holiday love to watch folk at work.

16:35

It has been quite a journey this afternoon. We managed to miss the Olympic torch in Inverness, went to regenerated Dundee, climbed a Munro in west Aberdeenshire, played some golf, went to the canal capital of Europe and ended up in the evening at Helen Eadie’s bed and breakfast, which I hope will reopen sometime soon.

What has united all the contributions is that every member values the importance of tourism. It is important to Scotland as a whole and to every single constituency within Scotland. That has shone through, regardless of where the member comes from or which party they represent.

Tourism is vital to the Scottish economy, as it supports well over 200,000 jobs directly and probably a lot more than that indirectly. Moreover, tourism is especially critical in some of our more vulnerable areas. Tourism is important for the whole of Scotland, but it is vital in some of our more vulnerable parts. Mary Scanlon talked about the Highlands, where tourism represents 20 per cent of jobs.

The tourism industry is one of the sectors that can help to create equity within Scotland. One of the beauties of the tourism industry is that it can spread wealth and business around the country instead of concentrating them in one or two parts.

Does the member not agree that, given that tourism is so important to the economy of Scotland, the UK Government should reduce VAT on the hospitality industry to 5 per cent?

The minister made the same point, although he perhaps did not put it quite as robustly as Mr Robertson has. Everybody knows the state of the country, everybody knows that the books have to be balanced and everybody knows the level of debt that the country is carrying. It is very easy for Scottish National Party members to say that the UK Government has to reduce VAT on tourism, but they have also called for reductions in VAT in a number of other industries and for an overall reduction in VAT, as well as for reductions in almost every other tax. It is easy to call for such a reduction, but how serious the SNP is about it remains to be seen.

I say to Dennis Robertson that it would be better for the Scottish Government to use the powers that it has instead of complaining about those that it does not. The Scottish Government has complete control over business rates, so it can adopt any policy that it likes on them. If the Scottish Government wants to pursue a policy that helps the hospitality industry on business rates, let us hear its proposals and what it has to say about that. The Scottish Government seems to have a lot to say about taxes that it has no control over instead of telling us what it intends to do with those that it does have control over.

I did not particularly want to get political, as it has been a positive debate but, when one is challenged like that, such a challenge has to be responded to reasonably and fairly.

I will comment on the new tourism strategy, which is an excellent document. As the minister said, it has been pursued by the industry, for the industry. That will be key to its success. A refreshed or new strategy was definitely required. Tribute has rightly been paid to the tourism leadership group and to the Scottish Tourism Alliance, which will take responsibility for driving the strategy forward.

What I think is right in particular about the strategy is that it has a new focus on the visitor experience across the entire journey instead of just part of it. It has a greater emphasis on leadership within and by the industry. By its nature, the tourism industry is potentially very fragmented. It is made up of an enormous number of small businesses, and we have seen it coming together over the past couple of years a lot better than it did five years ago, say. Given the strength of the strategy document and the leadership that the group has shown thus far, the industry can be less fragmented as it goes forward.

I think that it is also right to say that growth will come about by people having top quality experiences—with an emphasis on the word “quality”. As a country, we must compete on quality, not price. We are more Switzerland than Latvia in terms of the type of tourism that we are trying to promote. Quality does not have to be luxury, but the strategy quite rightly says that we must offer something that exceeds visitor expectations.

The other point that is worth making about the strategy document is that there are fewer key performance indicators, but we are looking at the indicators that matter—namely, overnight visitor spend and visitor satisfaction. Those two indicators will be looked at as the most important. There is a much sharper and finer focus than there has been in the past. The strategy also talks about progress being reviewed annually, with a more fundamental review after three years. Some of the risks that are faced in the tourism industry are acknowledged, and there will be a fundamental review after three years, once we start to get out of the downturn, as we all hope that we will.

I acknowledge what the minister said about the tourism statistics. The most recent statistics are definitely moving in the right direction, and the industry has to be applauded for that, particularly given the difficult year that 2011 was for just about every other industry. It is worth noting that our particular strength was in domestic tourism, in which spend was up by 16.4 per cent. International tourism spend was up by 2.4 per cent, but the number of trips was marginally down and the number of nights was down quite substantially. As things stand, the strength of the figures seems to have come from domestic tourism.

In looking forward, we must have one eye closely on what happens in the euro zone. Rhoda Grant touched on that in her opening speech. The pound is strengthening and the euro is weakening, which makes staycations more difficult to push. We must be very alert to that. As the pound strengthens, holidays in Europe become comparatively cheaper, and people may decide not to do staycations. We have to work hard to ensure that we keep getting the benefit of staycations. If the pound is stronger, of course, tourists from Europe will find it more expensive to come here.

I applaud the strategy and most of the motion, other than the point that I mentioned right at the start.

16:43

A couple of weeks ago, the national media picked up on a story about thousands of Glaswegians being sent to a Disney-style charm school ahead of the Commonwealth games. “Have I Got News for You” and other programmes clearly enjoyed the idea of Rab C Nesbitt and the like reciting pledges such as, “I must learn about the Glasgow botanic gardens,” and, “I will smile more often.” In fact, I suspect that most Scots and most Glaswegians who heard the story liked it as well. Whatever other failings we have, we are not too po-faced to laugh at ourselves.

The story is particularly good for illuminating where we need to concentrate some of our efforts if we are to make Scotland a more attractive tourist destination and to grow the industry by 50 per cent by 2016. The visitor experience in Scotland is shaped more by the welcome that we give tourists than by the beauty of our scenery or the majesty of our historic castles and battlefields. Whether we are saying, “Have a nice day,” or “Gaun yersel,” it is the genuine warmth of the words that we offer to visitors that will bring them back to our country. That message rings out loud and clear in the strategy document. I will quote one passage:

“Growth will come about by

• Turning the country’s assets into top quality experiences. Everybody involved in tourism, whether an hotelier, a shop assistant, a self-caterer”,

those who work in

“a theatre, an attraction or a bus driver, will be challenged to ensure top-notch quality across all the services and places that make up a visitor’s experience. This doesn’t mean everyone has to have a luxury product, but it does mean that what is on offer has to exceed visitor expectations.”

I thought that Mary Scanlon made an excellent point when she said that the fact that many hillwalkers, climbers and cyclists who come to Scotland are not staying in 4-star hotels does not mean that they should not expect the best—quite the reverse. Quality and high standards are the watchwords in the report.

Another key word in the tourism leadership group’s strategy is growth. Tourism is a key area of the economy in which the circumstances can still support growth if the partners, including the Scottish Government, work together. Many members talked about the winning years—the year of creative Scotland in 2012, the year of natural Scotland in 2013, which is a chance to grow green or eco-tourism, and the second year of homecoming in 2014, which brings the Ryder cup and Commonwealth games to Scotland.

Economic growth should be the main goal of every level of government. That is why Labour’s amendment reiterates the importance of retaining the target to grow tourism by 50 per cent. That goal is not just desirable but achievable, given the propitious circumstances, and vital. The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee pointed out that a question remains about the Government’s commitment to the 50 per cent target. The chief executive of VisitScotland called it an ambition rather than a target, and we need clarity from the minister on whether the target is at the heart of his thinking.

A good start for the minister might be to provide further information on how he intends to measure progress. The Scottish Tourism Alliance talks about the importance of gathering performance indicators, which echoes a call by the EET committee. Will the minister say how he will work with the tourism industry to establish a monitoring and evaluation framework?

Sporting events figure largely in the list of events that will contribute to the winning years. I add my congratulations to those of Chic Brodie to everyone who was involved in winning the open championship for Royal Troon in 2016. Ahead of the debate, the Scottish Sports Association circulated a particularly helpful briefing on sport’s contribution to the Scottish economy. Fishing and golf have long been huge attractions for high-spending visitors, but they have been joined in the past few years by new and exciting activities, such as mountain biking. When I was a kid, Fort William meant a place for wet games of shinty but, when we pass through the town now, we cannot help but notice all the cycle racks, bike shops and posters, which show what a difference mountain biking is making to the local economy.

So much more can be done to improve and expand facilities. Instead of lining up swimming pools for closure and bemoaning the lack of ice rinks in the country, we should be investing in those areas and providing activities that are not weather dependent and facilities that will not just be attractive to visitors but will be used all year round by locals.

I am optimistic that Scotland will make the most of the opportunities that are presented by the Commonwealth games in 2014, but the visit of the Olympic torch left me slightly anxious about the Scottish Government’s approach. It has been difficult not to contrast some SNP ministers’ rather grudging remarks about the so-called London Olympics with the phenomenal welcome that the torch received in every Scottish community. I acknowledge what Dennis Robertson said about the welcome that the torch received in Aberdeenshire West but, like Rhoda Grant, I cannot help feeling that we missed a trick in Scotland and could have marketed the warmth of the Scottish welcome, rather than appearing as if we have a chip on our shoulder.

I heard the chef Marco Pierre White on the radio recently. He observed that the standard of food in our restaurants is now first class, for the most part. I am not sure that it is first class everywhere, but I certainly accept that we expect good food whenever we go out to eat. Marco Pierre White said that the key is not just to maintain the high standard of cuisine but to make the atmosphere and the experience of eating out enjoyable. He went on to say that good staff are the key to a good night out, and he talked about how he hires on personality and trains for the skills that he needs. I have heard the same approach described by other people who work in retail or hospitality.

Therefore, one of the most important tasks for the Scottish Government is to support better training and skills in the hospitality and retail sectors. We need to be able not just to attract the right people into the industry but to retain staff by offering the prospect of a full and rewarding career. Margaret McCulloch was right to highlight our on-going concern about pay, conditions and status in the sector.

The report that is at the centre of the debate was industry led and focused on a partnership approach. The minister rightly commended the approach, but that does not let the Government off the hook. I will not strike an overly critical note, but the motion is a little vague on the actions that the Government will take. The most specific point in it is the call to the UK Government to cut VAT and devolve air passenger duty. I simply mention that because I am disappointed that, by highlighting what other people should do rather than what the Scottish Government is doing, the motion reads more like an excuse than a call for action.

While recognising that we always wish to do more, would Ken Macintosh agree that the bid fund that we launched in March, working with Glasgow City Council and others, has been a marked success thus far?

You have one minute left.

Indeed. I did not have time to do so, but I will take the opportunity now to add my congratulations to those involved in attracting businesses to Scotland, particularly with respect to the conferences that are now coming to Scotland.

I draw the minister’s attention to Helen Eadie’s comments, particularly the ones about the importance of maintaining standards in our hotels. She raised a serious point about the impressions of the eastern European visitors. On a similar but less serious note, my aunt runs a bed and breakfast in Skye. A few years ago, an Italian couple stayed there. They were making a bit of a racket—she said that it sounded as though they were playing football in the bedroom—so she went upstairs and gave them a row. She thought nothing of it. They wrote something Italian in the guest book and left. It was another year before she had another Italian visitor. She asked them to translate it and they laughed and said that it was a very famous Italian saying from Dante’s “Inferno”:

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here”.

On that note—[Laughter.]

Yes. I am just suggesting that one person’s standards are not universally accepted.

16:51

I am happy to move swiftly on from Dante’s “Inferno”—not a place that I would like to go to on holiday. The debate has been unexpectedly revelatory—I did not realise, for example, that Dalgety Bay was not included on the weather map. What a disgraceful omission. I am pleased that we have Helen Eadie to make sure that such scandals are swiftly corrected. Nor did I realise until Fiona McLeod mentioned it—and therefore it must be true—that Strathkelvin and Bearsden is in fact a hotbed of radicals and troublemakers. Then we moved on to Dennis Robertson’s speech, where we deradicalised somewhat as we visited Balmoral and the environs. I am pleased—having had the pleasure of hearing Dennis speak on a couple of previous occasions—that we managed to extend the term of this session of Parliament to five years so that there will be sufficient time for him to work his way through all of the manifold attractions in his constituency.

There have been great successes in Scotland attributable to the work of many across councils, Governments, parties, the private sector, the social sector and others. Just look at some of the investment that there has been in tourism facilities across Scotland of late.

Mr Malik mentioned additional conferences coming to Glasgow—the Scottish hydro arena at the Scottish exhibition and conference centre is a truly exciting development that paves the way for many new events to come to Glasgow. The Edinburgh international conference centre expansion that I had the pleasure of visiting in the company of the redoubtable Hans Rissmann will double the capacity of the EICC and pave the way to even greater success. Then there are the Edinburgh military tattoo stands—my friend Brigadier David Allfrey is in charge now, and a finer, stronger leader you could not find. I am proud to be an ambassador for the tattoo and I hope that all members will take the time, if they can, to visit the tattoo this summer.

In addition, there are the Riverside museum—Glasgow’s transport museum—which was also mentioned by Mr Malik; Stirling castle, where I will be dining this evening with the British-Irish Council; the Robert Burns Birthplace museum, which I have visited with my family; and the redevelopment of John o’ Groats, which I had the pleasure of visiting on a ministerial visit and which will transform what has recently become a bit of an eyesore.

We have seen a huge amount of investment—I can go on—including investment in the Scottish national portrait gallery and in the national museum of Scotland. Gordon Rintoul was rightly honoured recently for making the national museum of Scotland the most visited tourism attraction in the whole of the UK outside London.

Members rightly pointed out that we must not be complacent. I will respond to some of members’ points—I apologise if I do not respond to them all. Helen Eadie is right that we must always seek to have the highest standards and that we should not tolerate lower standards. Across society, we must strive towards that end. However, the visitor experience survey for 2011 showed that 94 per cent of people were satisfied with their visit in Scotland; that 72 per cent were very satisfied indeed; and that 88 per cent would recommend Scotland to others. We would like a 100 per cent rating, but the industry is plainly doing well and serving customers well.

Mary Scanlon is right about the importance of walking, hillwalking and climbing, which should not be omitted. I am pleased that VisitScotland has a dedicated walking section on its website as well as several other initiatives on the issue.

Rhoda Grant is right that we can do more on eco-tourism. Of the visitors surveyed in 2011, a sizeable number—11 per cent—said that they chose Scotland because it has a good reputation on sustainable tourism. One in 10 people chose to come here precisely because of that. Renewables can enhance the attractions of Scotland. The Cream o’ Galloway visitor centre in Dumfries has 70,000 visitors. Members might have seen this week that Scottish Power has joined the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions in respect of the visitor attraction at Whitelee wind farm, which has attracted nearly a quarter of a million people, including children, who learn how electricity is generated. I know, because I have visited it myself.

Several members went on about whisky quite a lot. I am not sure whether this is revelatory, but I have enjoyed the whisky experience quite a lot, although it was only earlier this month that I visited the Scotch Whisky Experience near Edinburgh castle. What a terrific asset for Scotland that is. For those who have not had the chance to go there, please do, enjoy the experience and wet your thrapple.

Mr Malik rightly pointed out concerns, which we share, about the difficulty with getting visas. Helen Eadie mentioned that in relation to east Europeans. On that issue, we are behind President Obama, who said—appropriately enough, it was in Orlando—that the visa application process for visitors from China would be made easier. If one of the most security-conscious countries in the world can recognise the value that the Chinese market offers, we challenge the UK Government to follow suit.

Fiona McLeod, Dennis Robertson and Ken Macintosh mentioned the importance of the mountain bike to tourism. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth recently attended the Union Cycliste Internationale world cup event at Aonach Mòr on 10 June, which was supported by EventScotland funding. I know that Mike Matheson participated and went on the course. I can tell members that people have to be a bit of a daredevil to do that, so we even have daredevils among the Scottish ministerial ranks. What a revelation the debate is proving to be.

All members have recognised the common sense, leadership and benefits in the recent piece of work by the Scottish Tourism Alliance. It recognises fresh focus and new goals and sets an ambition for the industry, which was devised following long consultation with the industry, to break from the status quo and to achieve an annual visitor spend of between £5.5 billion and £6.5 billion by 2020, which would be an extra £1 billion or more.

We cannot support the Conservative or Labour amendments, although that is more in sorrow than in anger, because the debate has been good.

Will the minister give way?

He is in his last minute.

I am just closing.

The Labour amendment unfortunately makes a mistake with the year—it says 2016 when it should be 2015. Unfortunately, that would see our ambitions slip, which we do not want to happen.

I commend the efforts of Stephen Leckie and his colleagues on the tourism leadership group. The work that Marc Crothall, the chief executive of the STA, will take forward will for the first time ever involve the public and private sectors working in tandem to achieve the enormous success that lies ahead, in the winning years, for this marvellous country of ours.