'We cannot control the wider geopolitical uncertainty'
Such figures surely make for hugely positive reading for not just the tourism industry but Scotland as a whole, given the way in which the economic benefits of tourism tend to spread throughout the country. And they certainly should not be taken for granted: just this week we have seen the precarious nature of global tourism writ large, as conflict between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other led to disruption in the skies over the Middle East. While this conflict was clearly of a different nature, it brought to mind the massive disruption to global travel that followed the 9/11 terror attacks in the US around 24 years ago.
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VisitScotland's director of strategy Cat Leaver cited a range of reasons when asked to explain the rise in international visits to Scotland, from favourable exchange rates to enhanced connectivity. She pointed to the appeal of Scotland's 'world-class visitor experiences', which alongside established favourites such as Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle boast a raft of new additions. These include Perth Museum - the new home of the Stone of Destiny - the revamped Scottish Crannog Centre, Rosebank Distillery, and the Lost Shore Surf Resort in Edinburgh.
Scotland is also building an impressive reputation for hosting major events, illustrated last year by the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race in Oban, and the 152nd Open golf championship in Troon.
Yet despite these encouraging signs, the tourism industry in Scotland is certainly not without its challenges. This point was assertively made by Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), in a swift response to this week's figures on international visits to Scotland.
Mr Crothall declared the surge in visits by overseas travellers was a 'welcome boost for many tourism businesses who have worked tirelessly to rebuild after the pandemic and maintain Scotland's reputation as a world-class destination'. But he made plain that the headline figures do not tell the full story as he highlighted the daily reality for the many businesses that provide the tourism experiences that those visitors enjoy.
Part of this struggle is the significant rise in costs businesses have been forced to endure over recent years – including the steep rise in labour costs brought by increases in employer national insurance contributions and the national living and national minimum wage which took effect in April. It is also down to the continued weakness of the domestic tourism market – day trips and overnight stays in Scotland by residents of Great Britain – because of ongoing pressure on the cost of living.
'While international spend is rising, many businesses serving the domestic market continue to face enormous challenges,' Mr Crothall said. 'Rising operating costs, staff shortages, reduced profitability, regulatory burdens and declining domestic overnight stays and spend are all taking their toll. The reality is that too many businesses are still struggling to break even, and a busy summer alone won't secure their future.'
It is a sobering reminder of the situation that faces the hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses that form much of the backbone of the tourism industry in Scotland. And it explains why the Scottish tourism industry is so concerned about the prospect of visitor levies being introduced by local authorities around Scotland.
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Given legislation is now in place that allows councils to introduce tourist taxes, a key focus of the industry right now is on ensuring that the method of collecting those taxes and the way in which they are calculated are less onerous than currently proposed.
The STA has won widespread support in the industry for a series of proposals to modify the legislation to lessen the burden on the industry, submitted in a letter to Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee last month. These include the adoption of a 'simple, proportionate fixed fee approach', rather than adding a percentage to the cost of an overnight stay as the legislation currently provides, and the introduction of a visitor QR code system to ensure the tax is paid directly to local authorities.
It is abundantly clear that while Scotland's reputation is riding high among international tourists, the industry has big challenges in its local market that need to be acknowledged. The situation is certainly not lost on Vicki Miller, chief executive of VisitScotland, who in a blog post warned that the 'optimism' created by the growth of international visitors 'must be balanced with realism'.
'International visits and spend are up, yet visits and spend from UK visitors continue to be affected by the rising cost of living,' Ms Miller wrote. 'This is holding back the overall growth of Scotland's tourism and events sector.'
Ms Miller added: 'Our insight shows that interest in visiting Scotland remains strong but for many domestic visitors cost is now a deciding factor. Some are choosing not to travel at all, while others are changing their plans to suit their budgets, opting for cheaper overseas alternatives, prioritising longer experiences and cutting back on activities and experiences.
'As the national tourism and events organisation, we cannot control the cost of living or the wider geopolitical uncertainty that may impact overseas markets in the months ahead. But what we can do, and are doing, is take clear, focused action to support the sector.'
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The Herald Scotland
20 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Inside the rich history of Glasgow's Barras Market
In the late 18th century, traders often congregated in Glasgow's East End, hawking bric a brac and other sundries. The word 'Barras', short for wheelbarrows, refers to the carts traders would pull around the city and sell their wares from. The Barras' iconic gates have long stood watch over the shops below. (Image: Newsquest) The story as we know it begins with Ayrshire-born Maggie McIver, born in 1880 in Galston. She moved with her mother to Glasgow as a child, settling in Bridgeton. In 1902, she married fruit seller James McIver. In 1921, now in middle age, the couple founded The Barras Market on the corner of Kent and Moncur Streets, providing traders with a base from which to hawk goods, as well as a place to rent barrows. Five years later, weeks of heavy rain forced the McIvers to build an open shed to keep traders and customers dry. By 1928, the shed was enclosed on all sides. After James McIver died in 1930, Maggie ran the business for the next three decades. As historian Peter Mortimer told The Herald in 2021: 'Maggie was burdened with capital gains debts, nine children and a business to run. James dying put additional strain on her. 'But she was a resolute woman. She had the market, where it used to be said you could get 'anything from a needle to an anchor,' as well as the ballroom. Shoppers throng in front of stalls at The Barras in 1955. Of course, Mortimer is referring to the Barrowlands, the renowned music venue which has hosted everyone from David Bowie and The Proclaimers to Oasis and Snoop Dogg over the years. As the story goes, Maggie hosted an annual Christmas meal for the hawkers selling wares out of The Barras in the local St Mungo's Halls. In 1934, she discovered the venue was already booked, so she built her own - the Barrowlands Ballroom, which opened on Christmas Eve. A revamp in the 1960s after a disastrous fire saw the ballroom rebuilt. Twenty years later, the venue was fitted with its iconic neon sign, subsequently playing host to generations of music legends. Scottish icon Jon Fratelli told The Herald about the mystique the Barrowlands held for him as a young musician. In 2022, he said: 'I think we would probably all agree that when you're 19 years old the idea of playing the Barrowlands is the summit. 'Anybody that you saw that was playing in a stadium, somewhere huge, it didn't seem attainable, it was unreal. It was something that only happened on TV. But playing the [[Barrowlands]]. There was something more concrete and solid about that.' 'I think musicians and anybody creative in general, actually, have this streak of self-doubt. When you play the Barrowlands and people really start hearing your music, you retain that first rush if you're lucky enough to get it. It dampens down, but it never really goes away. It's still the top for me.' The Barrowlands has hosted scores of up and coming musicians. (Image: Archive) Of course, time waits for no one, and Maggie McIver, dubbed the 'Barras Queen', died in 1958. Her children assumed control of the McIver market empire and marched on into the second half of the 20th century. Actor Gavin Mitchell, aka Boaby the Barman from Still Game, grew up in Glasgow during the 1960s and 70s. He told The Herald in 2022 that The Barras is his favourite place in the city. Mitchell said: 'I've got a wee dog, so we walk a lot. One of my favourite things to do is wander down The Barras'. 'I still love popping by Danny's Hot Donuts. I think the markets are the heart and soul of Glasgow. It takes things back to who you are. I used to go to the market with my granny on a Saturday. I notice when I still go down there, the way people talk, it's heartfelt and it's real and I love that.' Fond childhood memories aside, by the late 1990s, footfall had declined and stalls were emptying as police began to crack down on unscrupulous traders. In 1997, a series of raids uncovered £8m in stolen and counterfeit goods at the market, and 28 people were arrested in one of the largest raids in Strathclyde Police history. This was eclipsed a year later in November 1998, when 43 people were picked up on suspicion of dealing in stolen or fake items. £14m in goods was recovered, including £12.4m of counterfeit CDs, £17,000 of stolen cigarettes, rip-off Armani and Ralph Lauren clothing. Hard times for The Barras in the early 2000s. At the time, Chief Superintendent Danny Donnelly said: ''By cracking down on the middlemen, we hope to reduce the opportunities for thieves and housebreakers to profit from the goods they have stolen. 'This particular operation was planned as part of the force-wide efforts against housebreakers who prey on private households and businesses. Our efforts against these criminals are continuous.'' Raids continued throughout the early 2000s, and in 2009, it was reported that Barras traders had appealed to the council for support amidst criminal gangs who had moved into the area. In 2016, police seized an estimated £30m in counterfeit goods, arresting 100 people in a series of raids dubbed 'Operation Salang.' Read more: Yet, a decade later, things are on the upswing. Despite concerns over the future of the venue, the early 2020s have seen a renaissance at the market, as young traders peddling sustainable fashion and trendy food options have set up shop among the stalls of older generations. From Hong Kong waffles and fresh pressed juice to record shops and vintage cowboy boots, The Barras has something for everyone. More than one hundred years after it was founded by the McIvers, the market continues to be a popular destination for local residents, students, and visitors from across the world. Let's see what the next hundred years hold.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
How The Barras became Glasgow's most exciting foodie destination
But elsewhere, thanks to a team who have invested time and effort into curating a line-up of street food vendors unlike any other, The Barras has slowly but surely evolved into one of the city's most exciting foodie destinations. As part of our Barras Reborn series, The Herald sat down with market manager Chris Butler to discuss the influx of independent culinary talent now based in the East End and how this contributes to the shifting identity of a 104-year-old cultural landmark. Pictured: The Pizza Cult at The Barras (Image: Robert Perry) 'I took on the role about a year ago, and one of the first things that I really wanted to change was the area where most of our food places are now,' Butler says. 'Before that, it was a sort of dead space and a real thorn in my side. 'I would go over there and think there's so much potential here, it was crying out for some sort of injection of life.' Before joining the Barras team, Butler spent 10 years employed as a funeral director, but found himself searching for a change after the death of his wife. Considering a career path that would utilise previous experience in the retail and food industries, he fondly remembered working in the bar at The Barrowland Ballroom during his younger years as some of 'the happiest times he'd had'. A conversation with friend and long-term Barras manager, Tom Joyes, followed, and when Butler was offered a new role, their attention quickly turned to the market's food and drink offerings. Pictured: A dish from Colombian Bites, one of The Barras latest foodie vendors (Image: Robert Perry) 'We have a great team of people to work with who have new ideas all the time, especially Tom, who has been here for 40 years,' Butler continues. 'He knows the place inside out, but even he is still learning as he goes because back in the day, The Barras was a totally different beast to what it is now. 'After I started here, we pretty much ripped everything out and began from scratch. 'Christian from our multimedia socials team and I put together a database for businesses applying for spaces here. 'A lot of the interest we were getting was from people who hadn't been to The Barras in a long time, so we made sure to get them down for site visits and share our vision. 'Traders like the Ceylon Cartel got involved after pop-up events. I just liked what they did, all the blades flashing and things while they prepped and thought they'd be a good fit. 'And there's Alan McCurdy, the Crumbleologist, who has thousands of followers on TikTok now. 'He pitched me the idea, and even though I didn't have a space at the time, we knew it would be great, so we got him set up in a stall. As soon as one of the red huts became free, he was relocated there.' When it comes to delivering a market that's full of unexpected foodie surprises from authentic Colombian empanadas to freshly pressed green juice or Neapolitan-style pizza, Butler says it's imperative to maintain a firm understanding of what each unit and stall has to offer. 'We wouldn't have somewhere that just does chips and nothing else,' he says. 'And these days, people want more than just a cheap burger van. 'Every place has to have its own angle to stand out so that no one is serving the same thing. 'We are really diligent about what we want, and I think that's what stops us from becoming another bland food spot. 'It's a real melting pot of styles and nationalities that we've got here.' In an era of TikTok reviews and foodie bloggers, the team also strives to stay ahead of the game by closely monitoring trends and searching for emerging talent that could be a perfect fit for The Barras. 'We can tell what's trending on TikTok through the people that are applying to set up here,' Butler says. 'You'll get five people in a day saying, 'I've got this brilliant idea for a baked potato stall' as if we've not heard that before. 'And when The Great British Bake Off is on, we'll get people saying I want to do this specific type of pastry and just think yeah, ok, join the line. 'But you do have to be social media savvy, because if people can catch onto the right trends and find to deliver them with a sense of credibility and longevity, then it can work really well.' While Butler accepts that The Barras has not traditionally been considered a 'foodie' market, these recent developments clearly demonstrate the power that a diverse and well-thought-out selection of vendors can wield in attracting new demographics. 'We're not stopping here,' he confirms when asked if there are plans to expand the current list of more than 20 food and drink businesses on their books. 'We're thinking about getting a couple of containers over on the spare ground, and we're looking at getting some really good Indian food and a Chinese food stall over on that corner. 'It actually won't be called the spare ground, London Road or D Section anymore. We've decided on a moniker of 'Glasgow Place'. 'It will have its own identity so that whenever we talk about it on social media or anything, people will know exactly what it is. 'There's also talk of a toilet block which will make the place more like a wee food village, and we'll need to find a way to get more electricity for it all. 'We're not resting on the reputation we've built; we're going to keep pushing and pushing for more.' With yet more exciting transformations to come, Butler describes working in an area so important to Glasgow's heritage as something of a 'double-edged sword' as they strive to honour the legacy of The Barras while looking towards a bold new future. 'You're always going to have people who don't understand what you're doing, or object to it because they feel that too much is changing," he says. 'But I wake up every day looking forward to coming into my job because you know that no two days are going to be the same, and you have a chance to make a difference. 'I've just come back from a week off, and no word of a lie, there were well over 100 email applications in my inbox for people requesting stalls. 'Now, not all of them will be relevant to what we're after, but it's all about finding that wee nugget of something that seems like a great idea, then figuring out how to develop that and run with it. 'Especially with our food guys. I know that soon some of them will outgrow us, and that's ok because then we'll have the exciting job of finding someone new to take over. "I just hope that when they do move on, they'll say to people: ''I got my start at The Barras, and I'm where I am today because of it.''
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Is Trump good for Turnberry and Scottish tourism industry?
There are certainly many people within Scottish tourism, golf and wider society who will find Mr Trump's ownership of Turnberry, one of the country's prized sporting and hospitality assets, and his hotel and golf resort on the Menie Estate hard to stomach. The brand of populist politics he espouses, which seems expressly designed to sow outrage and division, means many people would simply not countenance a visit to any of his properties. No matter how popular the courses are within Scotland's golfing community, or how impressive the quality of the hotels, the fact they are owned by Mr Trump will be a turn-off. Some people will not have forgotten the unedifying public battle that took place between the Trump organisation and Menie residents as he sought to progress his plans on land that opponents said had protected environmental status. Mr Trump, of course, could not give two hoots about anyone who stands in the way of his developments. He will doubtless be of the firm belief that the investments made by his business have greatly enhanced the sporting and hospitality landscape of Scotland, and are better than anything else around. And moreover, it would be categorically wrong to say that Mr Trump and his family's resorts do not have their admirers. There are plenty of people in Scotland, perhaps including those with leanings to the political right, who like what they see as his non-nonsense, straight-taking approach. They may well like his apparent ability for doing a deal, and welcome the investment the Trump business group has made in Scotland. Read more: And there is certainly no shortage of golfers who like what Mr Trump has done with Turnberry, which continues to remain off The Open rota, despite recent representations by the President's family. In an interview with The Herald's Nick Rodger back in 2016, the golf course architect tasked with re-designing the fabled Aisla course, Martin Ebert, said the investment made by Mr Trump had saved its Open Championship future, highlighting the work undertaken to revive what had been a 'fading jewel'. Mr Ebert was not to know, of course, that the R&A would announce five years later that The Open would not be returning to Turnberry while Mr Trump was associated with it, but the warm feelings towards the course remain. Leading US player Bryson DeChambeau expressed his support for The Open returning to the Aisla links just last week. 'I look at it as a golf course,' he said. 'It's one of the best golf courses in the world, and I'd love for it to be a part of the rotation. Albeit I haven't played it, I've heard so many great things about it, and anytime you get to play a special historical golf course like that, I think it's worthy of it for sure.' A similar view may be held by golf fans old enough to remember the famous 'Duel in the Sun' that took place at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus went head-to-head for the Open title. Equally, there appears to a lot of love in the golfing world for the Trump International Golf Links on the Menie Estate, which will host the Scottish Championship, a DP World Tour event, from August 7 to 10. Beyond the golfing world, the Trump camp will likely proclaim that its investments have boosted the Scottish tourism offer more generally, and point to the jobs that are provided by the Ayrshire and [[Aberdeen]]shire resorts and the visitors they attract. Granted, the look and feel of the Trump properties will not be attractive to everyone. But some will very much like the cut of their jib. Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said there is a case for separating the resorts from their ownership as he emphasised the importance of destinations like Turnberry to the overall tourism offer in Scotland. This would seem to be a pertinent point as the sector strives to keep international visitors coming to Scotland in an era when pressure from costs is making it difficult for hotel owners and other tourism businesses to re-invest in their properties. 'There is no doubt that Turnberry remains one of Scotland's most iconic and internationally recognised golf resorts, and the quality of the product and experience it delivers has made a positive contribution to Scotland's global tourism reputation,' Mr Crothall told The Herald. 'As with any world-class tourism asset, for many visitors, the focus will be on the destination and the experience it offers rather than its owner. 'Continued investment in Scotland's tourism product is vital, particularly in our rural economies; it supports jobs, skills, the local supply chain and brings significant benefits to those communities, while also maintaining Scotland's competitive edge in the global luxury market. 'Turnberry is a prime example of how Scotland continues to attract global visitors seeking premium experiences rooted in heritage and sport, which showcase our world-renowned natural assets. Our growing reputation as a world-class golf destination is further strengthened by the development of other resorts, such as Trump International in Aberdeenshire, which has bolstered the north-east's visitor economy.' Mr Crothall added: 'Scotland's tourism industry aspires to achieve its national strategic ambition of being a world leader in 21st-century tourism, as outlined in the Scotland Outlook 2030 strategy. Investment is critical if this vision is to be realised, and it should be welcomed, whether from an independent owner-operator, a global organisation or the public sector; all investment is investment in Scotland's wider tourism offering and both the national and local economy.' Not everyone will agree with Mr Crothall. As we will perhaps see in the coming days if protestors turn up to 'greet' Mr Trump when he lands in Scotland, the President's money will not be welcomed by all. But we can all agree that there will be no shortage of headlines, as usual, when the President comes to town.
