New task force to spearhead the revival of tourism in Scotland

The Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce has members from more than 30 businesses in the industry and is co-chaired by tourism secretary Fergus Ewing and business minister Jamie Hepburn.

Regular meetings in the weeks ahead will provide strategic advice on recovering from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Other measures put in place by the Scottish Government include publications and a £2.3 billion business support package.

General aims of the group include reviewing access to funding support, evaluating ownership models of larger businesses, consider staff training, commission restart and recovery plans for the events sector and generate public discussion of tourism and its benefits for communities.

Mr Ewing said: “Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector has been hit hard by this pandemic and we do not underestimate the crisis this has created. The Scottish Government has been doing everything in its power to support the sector through the challenges it faces.

“We’re continuing to listen to industry and exploring how we can help. That job is not yet finished and we are looking at what further support can be made available to tourism and hospitality businesses.

“Today’s meeting of the STRT is a key milestone in the recovery of tourism and hospitality in Scotland. A range of organisations from across this diverse sector will come together to share ideas and expertise on how we can overcome the challenges Covid-19 continues to present.”