Tourist sector welcomes July restart plan
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INDUSTRY leaders have welcomed the announcement of a provisional date for restarting tourism.
Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing announced this week that the sector may look to start reopening on July 15 as part of phase three of the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown, subject to public health advice and progress continuing to be made on driving down the rate of coronavirus infection.
Michael Golding, chief executive of Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN), said: “The Cabinet Secretary’s announcement of a provisional reopening date marks a significant step forward, which has been welcomed by tourism businesses.
“There have been fears that businesses faced losing the summer season altogether. This announcement provides hope to the sector and allows businesses to begin tackling the challenges that lie ahead on the path to recovery.”
He said there were still serious concerns about the viability of the two-metre social distancing restrictions, with other countries considering one metre as safe.
But he added: “Tourism represents our greatest opportunity to restart the local economy.
“The destination has a reputation globally for having breathtaking spacious landscapes and a warm welcome – we can use this to rebuild the local economy in a safe and responsible way, ensuring it remains an outstanding place to live, work and call home.”
David Richardson, Highlands and Islands development manager with the Federation of Small Businesses, said the announcement would bring immense relief to countless operators in the tourism sector.
He added: “They must make their money in the summer to carry them through the long winters, and the longer lockdown continues, the more their viability is being threatened.
“Reopening on July 15 gives businesses over a month to prepare, ensuring that they have all the protocols in place to keep their staff and customers safe.
“However, each business is different and it is important that help is available if required to ensure that each can apply protocols correctly.”
David Whiteford, chairman of North Highland Initiative which created the North Coast 500 brand, said: “The date, along with the announcement that sectoral guidelines will be released on June 18, gives tourism and hospitality businesses in the North Highlands a workable target to plan and adapt their premises so that they can be in a position to provide visitors with a hearty but safe welcome.”
Making the announcement in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Ewing also outlined plans for the establishment of a new Scottish Recovery Tourism Taskforce to help the sector rebuild.
Highlands and Islands Conservative list MSP welcomed the announcement but queried why reopening could not happen sooner as the government plans to announce whether it can definitely go ahead as part of the regular lockdown review scheduled for July 9.
He said, by that time, few businesses would need another week to prepare.
