Tourist businesses demand action

Visitscotland is marketing Scottish tourism

Tourism businesses in Scotland are demanding help to revive their trade.

A delegation from the Borders is to meet First Minister Henry McLeish to present an economic recovery plan for the region.

There is also growing disillusionment with visitscotland, the former Scottish Tourist Board.

Scottish Tourism has been crippled for months by the foot-and-mouth crisis.

We need a minister for tourism, at least for the next five to 10 years. A person who has stature, responsibility, a senior post

Gerry Dowds, director of the Forum of Private Businesses

But visitor numbers have been falling since the mid 90s at a time when world tourism is booming.

Many blame a lack of commitment at the Scottish Executive and visitscotland.

The former Tourist Board has an annual budget of £24m.

By contrast, its Irish equivalent, Bord Failte, has a budget of £200m and a cabinet minister in charge.

In an edition of BBC Scotland's Frontline programme, Gerry Dowds of the Forum for Private Business, says the time has come to take responsibility away from visitscotland.

Professional companies

He said: "It's a big business, but it demands professionalism. That's why marketing has got to be taken away from the Scottish Tourist Board.

"I mean they have just been a disaster - they don't know how to do it. We need to now put it out to tender, give the professional companies a chance, pay them on a results basis and say: 'If you get it right we'll pay you really well."'

Mr Dowds also called for Scottish tourism to be given a similar profile to that in Ireland, where the tourism minister has a seat in the cabinet.

He said: "The Scottish Executive has to get the right money from Europe, from private investors, from private economy and themselves.

"We need a minister for tourism, at least for the next five to 10 years. A person who has stature, responsibility, a senior post.

There is concern at a loss of visitors

"The government has to recognise it can't slope the problem off to the Scottish Tourist Board. It has to take charge of it and have a proper department within the Scottish Executive to solve the problems."

The Frontline Scotland programme claims Scotland is losing tourists through a combination of poor marketing, substandard service and the foot-and-mouth crisis.

It cites the prevalence of "tourist tat" in gift shops, poor quality hotels and food, and litter as major turn-offs for tourists.

Peter Irvine, the man behind Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations, said: "There's still a lot of people who would argue that the tartan side is how people around the world, Americans and others, see Scotland and that's what we have to give them.

"But there is also a whole new thing, and I do think that you can give people that and give them quality stuff as well."

Huge potential

Visitscotland chairman Peter Lederer accepted that tourism was going through a difficult period, but argued that the foot-and-mouth crisis could provide the springboard to revitalise the industry.

He said: "I really do see that out of this can come some very positive outcomes in terms of how we position Scotland, how we market the country and how we work together because it's the only way we're going to do it to develop the huge potential that tourism has."

Frontline Scotland's 'Wish You Were Here', is being shown on BBC2 Scotland on Tuesday 29 May at 2200BST.