All inclusive: the best of both worlds for Scottish tourism

Transcription

1 All inclusive: the best of both worlds for Scottish tourism July 2014

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3 Introduction As part of the UK, Scotland s tourism industry is prospering. We have seen huge numbers of people from around the world coming to Scotland and a resurgence in Scots choosing to take holidays here. From natural wonders like Loch Lomond and the Cairngorms to world heritage sites like the old and new towns of Edinburgh and Skara Brae, Scotland is a land of astonishing contrasts. Visitors from across the UK and around the world travel to Scotland to enjoy our magnificent attractions, breath-taking landscapes and world-famous hospitality. Tourism is also a vital part of the Scottish economy. As one of our largest economic sectors, tourism employs more than 180,000 people directly and is worth around 4.6 billion a year from overnight visitors to Scotland. Being part of the UK supports Scotland s tourist industry in many ways. An open border with the rest of the UK and a home market over ten times our size helps ensure free and easy movement of people between Scotland and the rest of the UK. We are also assisted by organisations like VisitBritain and the British Council, which help to promote Scotland abroad, as well as the full weight of the UK s 14,000 diplomatic staff across 267 offices, bringing visitors to these shores through initiatives like the GREAT campaign. Separation would put these things at risk and create uncertainty for Scotland s tourism industry. As part of the UK we have the best of both worlds. A strong and independent Scottish tourism industry backed up by the strength and stability of the UK economy and institutions. We can market ourselves as Scottish and British. We get the best of both brands. Scotland s tourist industry The tourism industry in Scotland is thriving. Last year, Scotland welcomed more than 2.5 million overseas visitors. 1 In the year to March 2014, official statistics show overseas visitor numbers increased by 13 per cent, with their spending also increasing over the period. The visitor economy makes up around 10.4 per cent of Scotland s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 10 per cent of Scotland s employment is linked to the industry. This is higher than other parts of the UK. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, the UK was the eighth largest tourist destination in the world last year. It is a considerable market, from which Scotland derives additional benefits. VisitBritain figures show that 30 per cent of visitors to Scotland in ,400 people - stayed elsewhere in the UK during their trip. This proportion would likely be higher for exclusively overseas visitors. Scotland s main visitor attractions are among the most visited in the UK, clocking up hundreds of thousands of visits a year. Front cover by David Iliff. Licence CC-BY-SA 3.0 Side image by paisley.org.uk licensed Creative Commons BY 2.0 3

4 In 2014, the well-known Lonely Planet guide ranked Scotland as the third top tourist destination on earth. This is what they said: VisitBritain, to China and Japan. The Japan portion of the mission will not have direct VisitScotland representation, but the delegation will still act on its responsibilities to raise awareness of Scottish businesses and destinations. Although we have a devolved tourist body, this partnership arrangement provides us with an extra layer of support and access to markets drawing together the broader resources of the UK. Promoting Scotland abroad VisitBritain, the UK s national tourism organisation, is a public body overseen by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It has a responsibility for growing tourism across Britain. In doing so, it works in partnership with the official tourism bodies for Scotland, England, Wales and London. VisitBritain also works alongside other UK level bodies, including UK Trade and Investment and the British Council to promote tourism in the UK. This provides Scotland with access to overseas offices covering 21 markets - accounting for around 74 per cent of the UK s total inbound tourism spend. As VisitBritain works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, these offices are often located on the same sites as diplomatic and trade organisations helping these bodies to work together. Staff from VisitScotland have been directly involved at VisitBritain sales missions overseas. Where representatives of VisitScotland are not present, VisitBritain is available to represent their interests. A good example of collaboration between Scotland and the wider UK includes the trip in November this year, by VisitScotland and The UK international network In addition to dedicated VisitBritain offices, the UK s embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world are also charged with promoting tourism, exports and investment in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The UK has 267 of these diplomatic outposts and 169 UK Trade and Investment offices. This is far more than even the nationalists most optimistic predictions of a separate Scotland having 70 to 90 offices overseas. All UK diplomatic missions routinely promote our exports, destinations and the Scottish brand. They also hold Scottish themed events and strategies, as well as providing support to Scottish ministers and officials on overseas visits. 4

5 The GREAT campaign Launched in 2011, the GREAT campaign was established to bring visitors and investment to the UK. Scotland is at the heart of this campaign, with posters featuring tourist destinations like the Glenfinnan Viaduct (pictured), given world-wide fame through the Harry Potter films, or Scottish innovation at a bionics technology firm in Livingston. Images have also been used to promote destinations from the last James Bond film, Skyfall, shot extensively in the Highlands. brand. Sales are also made within Scotland, when visitors come to us. Our exports are high quality, and are supported extensively by the UK s international trade networks: opening up new markets and ensuring fair competition. Whisky is the UK s biggest food and drink export. However, it requires extensive work to protect it against discriminatory or excessive taxation and counterfeit abroad. The importance of these functions has been recognised by the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, who recently said: Internationally, as an export-oriented sector, we rely on effective support from government in our overseas markets, whether in influencing EU negotiations or pressing other governments to allow fairer market access. The GREAT campaign is targeted at priority markets among which are major economies such as China, Germany, Japan, India and the US. The VisitBritain target return on investment is 15 spent in the UK for every 1 spent on the campaign. Tourism and Scottish exports Scotland s well-known exports are a vital part of our niche tourism market. One of our most prominent exports around the world is Scotch whisky. In tourism terms, not only does it bring visitors to our wellknown distilleries, it contributes to our international identity and creates a recognisable image of Scotland world-wide. When we send over a billion bottles of whisky, tens of thousands of tonnes of salmon and thousands of items of high-quality clothing into the global market, Scotland builds its The UK has also taken a lead in protecting our important export brands like Scottish salmon. In 2000, UK diplomacy resulted in the US removing its high tariff rates on exported cashmere. The support our exports have is unrivalled. Only as part of the UK can we ensure the continuation of this support. Role of the British Council The British Council opens up Scottish culture, arts and creative industries to a global audience. This is particularly important in building the profile of Scotland as a tourist destination in emerging economies such as China, Russia, India and Brazil. The work of the British Council builds upon Scotland s growth and prosperity. The UK has been extremely successful in this, consistently ranked among the very top 5

6 countries internationally for soft power : our influence, educational and cultural links. It is the British Council which is chiefly responsible for the establishment of the Edinburgh International Festival in This has been a major contributor towards crafting Edinburgh s role as a modern, cosmopolitan cultural capital. Today, it is the largest tourist destination in Scotland, and second in the UK after London. Forces Day in Stirling or events of the London 2012 Olympic Games. We have also been able to draw on the additional resources of the UK during major events. For example, the support of the armed forces being offered for the Commonwealth Games which worked successfully during the London 2012 Olympics - or police from around the UK available to assist in major security operations. Events How open would a border be? Open borders with the rest of the UK are a significant advantage both for domestic travellers to Scotland and overseas travellers who cross to and from Scotland from other parts of the UK. Scotland s cities: hubs for travel across Scotland 2 The UK has supported Scottish events in numerous ways. This year s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have been used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office s overseas stations promoting Scottish tourism around the games. The Queen s Baton Relay events have given various UK posts in other countries a key role in promotional activities. These do not focus simply on Scottish tourism and visiting for the games, but also advertise Scottish exports and Scotland as a choice for education and foreign direct investment. Scotland has also played host to numerous UK national events, such as the recent Armed The UK has existing relationships with the Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland allowing for relatively open borders between these island territories and over the Irish land border. This is known as the Common Travel Area. The Irish government does, however, impose identity checks on air and sea travellers from Great Britain, as well as being able to carry out spot checks on the land border. The modern agreement on borders was reached following the Second World War. This was negotiated following similar immigration policies being adopted, similar levels of border control and co-operation between the two governments on day-to-day matters of entry. If a separate Scotland was, as many nationalists have suggested, to adopt radically different immigration, entry or customs policies, the open border between the two areas would be called into question. At a basic level, this is dependent on the actions of a Photograph: Robbie Shade (Creative Commons BY 2.0) 6

7 future Scottish Government and will have to be a consideration when policies are made. Restrictions on travel, particularly for visitors who have already come into the UK and are travelling on to Scotland, would have additional cost implications for the taxpayer, travellers and business. Conclusion Scotland is in a great position: it benefits from the global recognition and international profile of the UK, while maintaining its own unique brand. We use the strength of the UK s world-wide presence to support the Scottish tourist industry, and the UK s cultural influence to promote Scotland as an attractive place to visit. We also appreciate that Scotland s tourism industry receives other benefits from close working with the UK, recognising our mutual aims and interests. One example of this is the rest of the UK s infrastructure - with our rail and air links to other parts of the country being vital entry points for tourist destinations in Scotland. Scotland s tourism successes are contributed to by the strength and security of the UK, promoting Scottish products. We have a unique brand Scotland, and benefit from the UK brand too. The nationalists have nothing to say on how Scottish tourism would benefit from separation, while we are committed to maintain the strength and support the industry gains from being part of the UK. Stephen Leckie, the chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance and chief executive of Crieff Hydro, said that the business case for separation has not been made: The industry is continuing to ask one question on the issue what are the financial implications of independence for Scotland? They just don t know what they will be and it is a big concern. I hear from a lot of people the white paper is a very aspirational document. As a patriot of Scotland, it s fantastic, it s great, but show me the financials, show me the business case. All these debates can happen until the cows come home, but show me figures I can understand and believe. The discussions and debates going on at the moment are, I think, not representing Scotland and the parliament well. All it is, is everyone just arguing with each other. The long and short of it is we have just not seen a proper business case for independence. The feeling I get from speaking to people in the industry is that most are against independence at the moment. Scotland has an incredible global reputation and is often ranked as one of the world s top tourist destinations. The UK has had a big impact on this industry over decades. We believe it should continue to do so in the years to come. Together, we have the best of both worlds unique Scottish institutions promoting tourism, given support by a world-wide network which we have access to as part of the United Kingdom. Contact us: T: E: info@bettertogether.net W: 7