Visit Scotland announces cash support for tour operators

Scotland’s inbound tour operators are to receive a share of the £104.3 million allocated by the Scottish Government to support tourism and hospitality businesses across the country.

Meanwhile UKinbound is calling on the UK Government to announce a similar support package for tour operators across the rest of the UK.

Visit Scotland announced today that it will be administering nine of the Scottish Government funds made available to support tourism and events businesses which have received little or no support so far.

It said it will switch its focus from marketing to funding and support for the next three months to ensure that help is delivered quickly to those most in need. A hundred staff have been switched from other tasks to help.

"We will announce more details about how to apply on VisitScotland.org in due course, but our aim is to have all funds launched by mid-February," the tourist board said in a statement today.

Scotland’s inbound tour operators are being invited to submit expressions of interest in funding from 22 January.

Other sectors being allocated a share of the £104.3m include events businesses, destination management companies, coach operators, visitor attractions and hostels.

Companies which have already received some Covid-19 funding can apply again for one of the nine new funds, said Visit Scotland.

Information about the funds will be communicated across the industry and with partners and information on how to apply will be on VisitScotland.org.

"We understand how tough things are for the tourism and events industry at the moment and know that the impact of the ongoing pandemic is making business survival increasingly difficult. There is therefore a need to deliver funding as quickly as possible," said Director of Industry & Destination Development Riddell Graham.

"We have huge sympathy for businesses across Scotland, and we continue to feed concerns back to the Scottish Government through the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group – which we chair – and the Event Industry Advisory Group in the hope that more support will be made available in the future."

UKinbound CEO Joss Croft said: "This new fund is a lifeline to Scottish tour operators and destination management companies, and we applaud the Scottish government for recognising how important these businesses are to Scotland’s economic recovery and taking positive steps to ensure they remain viable for the future.

• Joss Croft talks frankly to TravelMole

"This fund was created as a direct result of the Inbound Tourism Resilience Fund proposal presented to the Scottish Government by the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Destination Management Association, Scottish Incoming Golf Tour Operators Association and ourselves in October 2020.

"In stark contrast, the UK Government, which was also presented with the Inbound Tourism Resilience Fund proposal last year, has yet to revert.

"We implore the Treasury to not only consider our proposal but to engage with us directly.

"The Government talks about the importance of levelling up and its desire to create a Global Britain, but currently it’s failing to support the very businesses that will be able to deliver growth to regional economics and promote Brand Britain globally."

By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)