Business Focus: Great to see holidaymakers as anticipated growth in our tourism for city is developing
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I RECENTLY enjoyed my first post-pandemic film at Eden Court, and watching No Man’s Land in the socially distanced cinema was another step in my life returning to normal, writes Mike Smith.
That evening it was great to see so many tourists out in the city centre on their way to get something to eat.
Earlier that day, VisitScotland had reminded us that tourism is worth more than £12 billion to the Scottish economy, supporting 15,000 businesses and 230,000 jobs which represents 8.5 per cent of all employment in Scotland.
The economic dependency of Inverness and the Highlands on tourism is not only due to their direct spend, but also the number of jobs they indirectly support.
Recent tourism webinars included an update from Inverness Airport, which had recorded a 56 per cent growth in passengers in the six years up until Covid-19 struck – just short of the magical one million annual passenger figure. Their 2021 projection is now a reasonably healthy 400,000.
We learned that all their daily flight operators are returning, with KLM restarting late June and rejoining BA as the crucial interconnecting carriers for international travel.
In 2019, the Ardross Street coach welcome facility received 3000-plus coaches bring 135,000 visitors to the city centre. While British coach tours are returning, cruise trips, which normally account for 40 per cent of our coaches, aren’t so far advanced.
Cruises from English ports restarted in May offering seacations or one-stop cruises, but the government isn’t currently allowing liners into Scottish ports despite all the major cruise companies stressing Scotland’s importance to their markets.
Saga still have Scotland as a destination for their sold-out cruise in late June, but its dependent on government approval.
And rail providers have all stressed the importance to their business models of attracting staycationers to the area.
City centre retailers and hospitality providers reported good business on pay weekend followed by increasing numbers of visitors from Scotland, the islands and England, so the anticipated growth in our tourism is developing.
- Mike Smith is manager of Inverness Business Improvement District
