- Scotland outperforming England on international visitor percentage growth
- Meeting discussed live music, festivals, whisky tourism and golf events
- Crothall stressed need for competitive pricing and investment in quality
- Industry call to lower VAT and reinstate duty-free shopping raised
- Secretary of State expressed interest in regular engagement with STA
Marc Crothall, CEO of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, met with Westminster’s Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander, to discuss how Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector is performing on both the international and domestic visitor front. The meeting highlighted that Scotland is outperforming the rest of England regarding percentage growth for international visitors, and discussed methods to continue driving international footfall.
The conversation covered the massive economic impact of Scotland’s cultural draws including live music, festivals, whisky tourism and premier golf events. Crothall stressed that for Scotland to sustain this momentum, businesses must stay competitive on pricing while continuing to invest heavily in quality infrastructure and experiences. The industry call to lower VAT was directly raised, referencing the ‘VAT’s the Problem’ campaign and the impacts of VAT on the Visitor Levy.
The potential of £500m extra in revenue for Scotland and £4bn for England from reinstating duty-free shopping was discussed. The meeting also referenced the potential for rail tourism being explored as part of Scotland Outlook 2030 and the potential for driving more exports and international growth through better cross-border partnerships. The Secretary of State expressed interest in more regular engagement with the Scottish Tourism Alliance in the months ahead.
Marc Crothall shared: “The meeting discussed how Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector is performing and stressed the need to stay competitive on price and continue to invest in quality.”
