Scotland’s Tourism
Over recent years , Scotland has become somewhat of a magnet for tourism. There are a number of different factors that have contributed to its overall popularity.
Sustained Scottish government campaigns alongside social media and word of mouth have all contributed to the excellent success that Scotland has seen in terms of visitors and tourism.
What Is Driving Tourism Demand?
To gain a better understanding of why Scotland has attracted so many visitors , its important to appreciate its natural beauty as well as the people that inhabit Scotland and make it the great nation it is today. Scotland hasn’t always been an appealing holiday destination. Often in the past Scotland has got bad press for being the home of rain , bad weather and extreme cold and damp during the winter months.
However over the years attitudes have changed and increasingly people from around the world are becoming more and more interested in what Scotland has to offer. One of the major contributing factors to this has been the popularity of photos of Scotland online. Increasingly social media platforms such as Instagram have been featuring scenic photos of landscapes and mountains in Scotland on the trending section.
These social media features and posts have helped to drive interest in Scotland as a holiday destination as well as somewhere to visit in order to go on tour. Thanks to this overall surge in popularity and more visibility online , many small Scottish businesses have seen a noticeable increase in demand as well as visitors. This has all helped to contribute to the local Scottish economy.
Can Scotland Cope With The Demand?
An increasingly asked question about Scotland is whether or not Scotland can cope with the demand that is being seen across the country for tourism and hospitality facilities. The reason this question is being brought up is because some parts of Scotland have seen such heavy footfall that some of the local facilities have been unable to cope with demand for the local area.
A classic example of this can be found in Skye. Skye is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland. Up to a million tourists make the journey up to Skye to see the scenery and wildlife on offer on the Island. In addition to this, there are of course many different types of visitor attractions such as distilleries , tourist shops , cafes , Bed and breakfast facilities and much more.
However one of the issues that is being faced by local authorities as well as the Islanders that live on Skye is the sheer amount of demand. Due to the very high footfall of visitors , the apparent lack of facilities is becoming plain to see. Many areas across Skye lack toilets or bins which can lead to pollution and increases in waste in these areas.
Parking facilities are also another important issue which needs to be properly addressed.
What Is Being Done To Address These Issues?
There are a number of different ways through these particular issues are being addressed.
One of the main ways through which these issues are being addressed is through community action , communities within these areas are lobbying their MP’s with this information and pointing out the issues that exist.
In addition to this , there are also social media campaigns which are ongoing in order to highlight the issue. It is important that these social media campaigns continue to be noticed in order for any sort of progress to be made.
It is important to note that the Scottish government are generating large amounts of revenue from the number of tourists visiting the country. Therefore , it is important that the government take some measures to ensure that there is enough funding for local facilities and infrastructure in order to be able to cope with the demand being placed upon them.
