Skye is Scotland’s second most popular destination. The data shows that visitor numbers continue to grow each year and now exceed pre-covid levels. It is alarming that a destination like Skye faces the real possibility of not having a body...
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March 26, 2021
Keeping You Informed – 26th March 2021
Our round up of the latest news and information affecting livelihood and businesses on Skye.
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Responsible Tourism Campaign from Visit Scotland
‘Our campaign aims to address some of the issues experienced last year, when we saw a rise in domestic visitors who sought to discover and enjoy Scotland’s countryside.
As more people enjoy the outdoors as the weather improves, and as lockdown restrictions gradually ease, our campaign calls for visitors to be considerate of the impact that our visits can have on the landscapes, wildlife and communities that Scotland’s famed for.’
Read more here – https://www.visitscotland.org/news/2021/responsible-visitor-management-campaign
John Muir Trust Report – ‘Tourism Viewed as a Double-edged Sword
‘Trust’s new visitor management report lays bare tourism dilemma as Highlands prepares for summer influx.
Scotland’s scenery is one of our most valuable assets and tourism is an important and growing part of the economy – supporting over 200,000 jobs and contributing more than £7 billion nationally. But the successful promotion of Scotland’s rugged and remote landscapes has not come without a cost.
A new report published by the John Muir Trust confirms that tourism is increasingly viewed as a double-edged sword by many local communities who are on the frontline of dealing with visitor pressures and opportunities.’
Read the full report here – https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/whats-new/news/748-frontline-realities-rural-communities-and-visitor-pressures?fbclid=IwAR1P8VSCFxKZh4roVSLbGD7d1Le4F3dXL1D5HAJE9be0FPuOOgUhvvqmi4k
Walk Highland Campaign – Let’s Keep Scotland’s Outdoors Beautiful
‘You will have heard about the “right to roam” – but what we actually have in Scotland is a right to responsible access. This is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code – which governs what is responsible behaviour amongst both those of us enjoying the outdoors, and those working and living there. This sets out where you can walk and how to do so without causing problems, but we’ve highlighted five main issues below.’
You can read more about Walk Highland five main issues – ‘Littering, Parking, Wild Camping, Dogs, Campervans & Motorhomes’ here – https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/lets-keep-scotlands-outdoors-special/
Business Gateway Survey – ‘Scottish businesses feel optimistic about 2021’
‘A SURVEY commissioned by Business Gateway, Scotland’s national business support service, has revealed that 40% of Scottish businesses feel optimistic about the future of their business in 2021.
The pandemic is undoubtedly still an area of concern for Scottish businesses, with 31% of businesses reporting that they felt positive about the remainder of Q4 2021, while 37% of businesses stated they felt either pessimistic or very pessimistic about the future of their business for the same period. However, these concerns lift slightly when asked about the rest of the year, with 31% of businesses reporting that they are pessimistic.
The research, which surveyed businesses at the end of February, represented a range of industries that have been impacted by the pandemic including retail and wholesale (11%), tourism (9%), hospitality, catering, and event management (8%) and food and drink (7%).
The survey also revealed that over 60% of businesses felt prepared to leave the European Union at the start of 2021. However, almost the same number (59%) still weren’t certain about whether this would have a positive or negative impact on their business.’
You can read the full article here – https://scottishbusinessnews.net/scottish-businesses-feel-optimistic-about-2021-according-to-latest-business-gateway-survey/
PPL PRS Music Licence Fee in Relation to the COVID Crisis
‘PPL PRS Ltd fully appreciates the continuing pressures affecting many businesses across the UK as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We wish to reassure customers of TheMusicLicence that we have introduced a number of measures to support them during these unprecedented times. These include:
- not charging customers for their music usage during the period they are closed (temporarily or permanently) due to COVID-19, this includes any subsequent regional restrictions imposed;
- – changes to our payment policies to introduce further flexibility, including deferred payments, for customers during this difficult period; and
– temporary suspension of late payment surcharges.’
Full details here – https://pplprs.co.uk/business-update/
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