Meeting of the Parliament 16 June 2015
I am delighted to speak in the debate, but having spoken in the previous debate on the Harbours (Scotland) Bill, I am beginning to feel like Para Handy, so I ask members not to make any comments about the Vital Spark.
Under the leadership of the present Scottish Government, Scotland’s tourism industry has grown significantly over the past few years. We all want Scotland to become one of the more accessible tourist destinations by providing high quality, value for money and memorable customer experiences.
Our marine industry currently contributes about £4.5 billion to the Scottish economy, part of which comes from marine tourism. It is a market sector that can and does attract high-spending individuals and groups, and it is one that fits well with other parts of our tourism offering—for example, food and drink. Scotland has the longest coastline in Europe, and we know that it has breathtaking coastal scenery and great views from the water.
Of course, marine tourism must take into consideration the part that it has to play in sustaining the environment. “Scotland’s National Marine Plan”, which was published in March 2015, covers 900 separate islands with varying habitats and a diverse array of 6,500 species. The strategic framework for Scotland’s marine tourism sector, which is rightly called “Awakening the Giant”, sits comfortably alongside the national marine plan. Marine tourism contributes £360 million to our economy, which it is hoped will rise to £450 million by 2020. As Graeme Pearson mentioned, sailing alone is worth £101 million to the economy, and the marine plan aims to increase that to £145 million by 2020. Nearly 46,000 workers are employed in the marine sector—many of them in marine tourism.
The strategy aims to boost Scotland’s reputation as a world-class marine tourism destination by improving the experiences of visitors, building new facilities and promoting new and existing events. The minister omitted to mention golf tourism. The open championship will take place on the Fife coast next month, this year’s women’s British open will be held on the Ayrshire coast at Turnberry, and Troon will host the open in 2016.