01/09/2026
The STA welcomes recognition of tourism’s economic potential in Scottish Government’s Programme for Government
STA Chief Executive, Marc Crothall MBE, said:
“We welcome the clear recognition in today’s Programme for Government of tourism as one of Scotland’s economic strengths, and the Scottish Government’s ambition to make Scotland the best place to invest and do business.
“This is very much in line with what the Scottish Tourism Alliance has been calling for. Tourism and hospitality has enormous untapped potential to contribute further to Scotland’s economic growth and, with international demand continuing to perform strongly, there is a real opportunity to capitalise on that.
“One of the key areas we called for action on ahead of the Programme for Government was urgent investment in people, so we particularly welcome the commitment to fund at least 150,000 apprenticeships, expand Graduate Apprenticeships and introduce a new Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant to support businesses.
“We are also encouraged by the commitment to reduce business bureaucracy and the principle to ‘regulate last, regulate simply, and regulate flexibly’. At a time when tourism and hospitality businesses continue to face significant cost pressures, creating the right conditions for businesses to invest and grow is critical.
“There are other positive commitments for our visitor economy too, including £110 million for an events pipeline which aims to position Scotland as a ‘world-leading events and tourism destination’, continued support for international air connectivity and further investment in the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
“We also welcome the focus on rural and island communities as engines of economic growth, including the Rural Renewal Bill and continued investment in vessels and ports supporting the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services. Reliable transport and connectivity are fundamental to the success of tourism businesses and communities across rural and island Scotland.
“We now want to build on today’s recognition of tourism’s economic importance by working with The Scottish Government to develop the Scottish Tourism and Hospitality Growth Plan we have called for, providing a clear route to sustainable and responsible growth and ensuring businesses have the conditions they need to invest, recruit and grow.”
