MSP seeks long-term support for Moray tourism sector

Richard Lochhead has written to Visit Scotland urging further support to help tourism businesses in Speyside and Moray recover from the pandemic.

Moray's MSP has welcomed a £3million Tourism Fund being administered by the agency, but is calling on Visit Scotland to ensure our local tourism industry has long-term support.

He said: "Tourism plays a huge role in Moray’s local economy and the pandemic has had a massive impact on tourism and hospitality businesses in the area.

"The recent local outbreak, which saw Moray remain in level 3 restrictions for an extended period, was tough for local businesses preparing to welcome visitors from other parts of Scotland.

"Although we were only in level 3 for an extra week it is clear from conversations I’ve had with local businesses that the affect was felt even before other parts of the country moved into level 2, with publicity around high case numbers leading to a high number of cancellations.

"I very much welcome the £3m tourism fund that was announced last week and hope that Visit Scotland will continue to explore what further support can be made available to help the sector in Speyside and across Moray recover after what has been an incredibly difficult year."

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