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...
Read More
Mini Bite – from Alistair Danter – 10th September – 2023
In Alistair's Mini Bite below you'll find information on Alistair Danter's work as Project Manager for SkyeConnect.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Dear Colleague – Industry data released this week suggests that food waste costs Scottish hospitality outlets an average of £10,000 a year, with the equivalent of one in six meals served ending up straight in the bin! Not only is that a huge drain on business resources, but it also contributes significantly to climate change, through greenhouse gas emissions like methane and CO2. Therefore, it is great to announce that our Autumn conference on 14th November at An Crubh will be held in conjunction with our Local Highland Waste Partnership colleagues. The conference will address waste issues as we try to work towards becoming a net zero destination. Please put the date in your diary. More information will be available soon. In the meantime, life has been as busy as ever despite the longest September heat wave on record:
Visitor Levy Survey
Results from our Visitor levy survey have now been published in preparation for submitting formal feedback to the Government’s consultation process. The survey was sent to 1000 businesses across Skye on the 7th of August. When the survey closed on the 1st of September, 170 responses had been received – a response rate of 16%. Just over 60% of respondents are not in favour of a levy being imposed on all overnight accommodation and 82% do not support the levy being collected and distributed by The Highland Council. Almost 90% of respondents believe the revenue raised on Skye should be spent on Skye, with 82% favouring local administration by the destination management organisation (DMO). Full details of the results can be seen on our website.
Skye Connect
We’ve been doing some housekeeping with our B2B website: www.skye-connect.com. The site has been tidied up to make finding relevant documents easier. Position papers and research documents can be found at https://skye-connect.com/public-document-downloads/ Press releases can be found at https://skye-connect.com/press/ and for paid up members access to Board minutes and financial information can be found on the membership login pages.
Net Zero Webinar
Sticking with the theme of moving towards net zero, Business Energy Scotland is running a free training webinar on 20th September devoted to insulation and energy saving. The event is designed to help businesses get ready for winter, keep their energy bills in check and take advantage of Scottish Government funding that is currently available. This link will take you to the sign up page.
Short Term Lets
Short Term Lets update – An update from Highland Council reveals that 3,507 applications have been received to date with 1,462 licences issued. Council staff are having to deal with enquiries as well as process applications which means that response times can be extended. If there is demand for either a full presentation with Q&As or a simple surgery with Q&As, we can make this happen with our colleagues at The Highland Council. Any business interested in an online seminar should email info@skye-connect.com . We continue to receive enquiries from operators who have only recently become aware of the legislation. Please can we ask that if you know someone that may not aware of the final date for submissions refer them to this page.
Highland Council Survey
A survey into funding provision is underway, led by The Highland Council, which seeks to identify current access to funding for trading organisations, private business and community groups. The research aims to identify gaps in provision and look at options to address these gaps. The survey can be accessed here.
MySkyeTime App
“Download the App”!! Please can we ask all accommodation businesses to encourage guests to download the MySkyeTime App from our website. It will make planning their time here a lot easier!
Be Part of Our Community.
Join Today.
Stay SkyeConnected
More Updates
A Call for Support: A 10 Year Sustainable Tourism Strategy For Skye, Raasay & Lochalsh
SkyeConnect is leading the calls for a transformative initiative to develop a 10-year sustainable tourism strategy for Skye, Raasay, and Lochalsh. The aim is to position us as leaders in 21st-century tourism.
Read More
Mini Bite – Tourism Strategy, Skye Northern Lights, Business Heating Grants and more…
SkyeConnect leading the calls for a transformative initiative to develop a comprehensive 10-year sustainable tourism strategy for Skye, Raasay, and Lochalsh.
Read More
Destination Management & Long Term Strategy for Skye
Your participation in our surveys has allowed us to represent your voice locally, regionally, and nationally on many crucial issues. Now the Scottish Government cutbacks are poised to end the core operational funding essential for SkyeConnect and other DMOs across...
Read More