Tourism fund boost is welcomed in the north-east
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Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has welcomed a new £3million fund to help the tourism sector.
The Scottish Government has launched the funding for tourism organisations to apply in order to promote key visitor destinations in a responsible and sustainable way.
The move is part of a support package to help the sector recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The fund opens for applications on June 1 and will be split into three tiers, focusing on city, regional and national tourism groups.
City region award programme offers between £50,000 and £100,000, Regional destination organisations and pan-Scotland sector groups awards between £40,000 and £80,000 and local destination organisations, marketing groups and non-pan-Scotland sector groups awards between £10,000 and £20,000.
Funding will be administered by VisitScotland and will help support eligible groups to develop strong visitor marketing campaigns that position the north-east and Scotland as a year-round destination to the UK and Irish markets.
Commenting, Gillian Martin MSP said: “I would encourage all north-east businesses to apply for this funding when it opens on June 1.
“It has been a very challenging 16 months for tourism and hospitality in the north-east but as we begin to reopen this fund will help to promote some of the brilliant businesses we have here.
“We must focus on the recovery of the industry and I would encourage people to visit local and give a boost to the many brilliant businesses in Aberdeenshire which have been impacted by the past 16 months as we begin the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.”
Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said:“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for our tourism and hospitality sectors but, as we begin to reopen the economy and domestic travel resumes, this new fund will help to promote some of Scotland’s most scenic beauty spots to our closest markets.
“The fund stems from the work of the Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce and demonstrates our commitment to getting the sector firmly back on its feet again – a commitment backed by £25 million investment.
"Scotland is one of the world’s most iconic destinations and we must work together to deliver a sustainable recovery.”
