Caring for Scotland’s scenery – how we are helping our natural environment
By Vicki Miller , Director of Marketing and Digital at VisitScotland.
Scotland’s iconic landscapes have enjoyed a starring role in films, tv series, countless books, and many of our own marketing campaigns. And it’s easy to see why; their beauty is undeniable and one of the main things people love about Scotland.??
In fact, just last month our latest Scotland Visitor Survey showed that scenery and landscapes were by far the top reason that people chose Scotland as their holiday destination.?
But visitors don’t simply come to admire our scenery, connecting with nature is becoming an increasingly popular travel motivator, in part due to the well documented benefits that being outdoors can have on our health and wellbeing.??
Having such a unique selling point as a destination makes the need to preserve it even greater. Our?natural and cultural heritage, along with our communities, are what?make Scotland so?special.?
But the road to being a responsible destination is not a journey someone takes on their own. Whether resident or visitor, private or public sector, we all have a duty of care to protect our assets for the future.?
Our aim is to make responsible tourism the norm, not something that our visitors have to seek out. Our marketing strategy supports these ambitions, allowing us to choose the experiences, destinations, and time of year we want our future visitors to enjoy. This seasonal and regional spread is becoming increasingly needed as we try to reduce pressure on busier areas.?
All our work aims to achieve the four Ss – driving spend, spread, sustainability and satisfaction for visitors, industry, and communities. It's about increasing the value of every visit in a way that is considerate to surrounding communities and our natural environment. This isn’t just about bringing more and more visitors to Scotland.?
It was fantastic to see the 2023 international visitor figures showing that this focus is already working, with a significant increase in visitor spend compared to pre pandemic levels.??
What’s hugely encouraging is that there is a growing desire among visitors for this; to take the time to appreciate the places they visit; to embed themselves in local culture; to swap road for rail; and to feel like they are making a difference to a destination in a way that is more than simply boosting the economy.?
We take these insights from visitors, businesses and the tour operators and travel agents we speak to daily to ensure our activity helps to turn those desires into reality.?
For example, our work with Tourism Cares helped create an interactive Meaningful Travel Map which profiles trade-ready, responsible tourism experiences in Scotland.
Similarly, our innovative partnership with global tour operator The Travel Corporation and international sustainable tourism organisation, the Travel Foundation is focusing on the challenge of how to reduce carbon emissions in the tourism supply chain by ensuring we are selling Scotland in a way that minimises a visitor’s carbon footprint while maximising their opportunities to enjoy immersive, local experiences.?
These are just two major projects we are currently undertaking to help make Scotland a leading destination for responsible tourism. I’m sure there will be more in the years to come.??
Our work to highlight our vibrant and diverse natural environment is also the focus of our upcoming marketing takeover. It showcases further details about the activity we are delivering across press, social media and through our partners to promote responsible and sustainable travel. From encouraging visitors to slow down and visit out of season, to connecting with communities and enjoying local experiences. ?
This supports our work with liked-minded organisations such as Nature Scot, Cairngorms National Park, Ramblers Scotland, and Keep Scotland Beautiful to encourage responsible behaviour when enjoying Scotland’s outdoor spaces. This includes using shared and consistency messaging in relation to issues such as planning ahead, wildfires, wildlife disturbance and littering.
Our aim is to ensure everyone – whether visitor or resident – can #respectprotectenjoy Scotland.??
Responsible tourism has become a way of life at VisitScotland and all that we do looks to support our ambitions to make Scotland one of the most economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable destinations in the world.
Tina Marshall Consultancy Ltd.
5 个月Good news Vicki Miller, but we need to speak about the north.. We are having a few difficulties which only VisitScotland can fix.
Professional Genealogist at Heart of Scotland Ancestry
5 个月I think I know that view!!!??
Sustainable Rural Regeneration Specialist
6 个月VisitScotland Vicki Miller Positive to hear and we should celebrate success. But as Scottish tourism is so reliant on nature and landscapes we have a huge responsibility to future generations to admit that all is not well with nature in Scotland. It's not as 'vibrant and diverse' as it should be. Science in the State of Nature 2023?Scotland Report tells us that: "Efforts to recover natural capital in Scotland still have a long way to go to meet the needs of people and nature." NatureScot also tell us that "It’s vital to control?landscape change?to avoid losing the distinctiveness of Scotland’s various parts – and the country as a whole." The 2023 nature headlines are stark! Across Scotland since 1994, 407 species have declined on average by 15%, there has been a 47% decline in flowering plants, 1 in 10 of Scottish species are threatened with extinction and even before bird-flu 11 popular seabird species declined by nearly 50%. If Scotland is to be a leading destination for responsible tourism we must find ways to demonstrate that tourism use of nature can make measureable improvement to the state of our natural assets.
I am fully on board with protecting and caring for Scotland’s natural environment. Would be interested to learn more about VisitScotland’s position on the flurry of Pumped Storage Hydro schemes in consultation and at planning stage around Loch Ness - one of the most globally recognised tourism destinations in the world. No-one is against progress or solutions to energy provision/the climate crisis but the amount of proposed infrastructure change over the next 10 years around Loch Ness is incredibly worrisome for your accommodation providers and tourism businesses.
Fabulous, we also need to talk about the ultimate 'slow' thing, three years in the making. Scotch Whisky. Will you be sending someone along to the Cross Party Whisky Group, at the Scottish Parliament? It HAS to now be collaborative and encourage local communities in Scotland.