Small businesses urge VisitScotland to 'weed out cowboys' in B&B sector

Published on Sunday 7 January 2007 00:54

SMALL business chiefs are urging VisitScotland to bring in compulsory registration to clean out the cowboy bed and breakfast brigade.

In a strongly worded paper to be published this week, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), lambasts Scotland's national tourism marketing agency, calling for changes to the operation of its website and greater spending on marketing.

Scotland's tourist industry generates more than 4bn annually, employing more than 200,000 people, but the FSB argues that its members have little faith in VisitScotland and that to remain competitive Scotland needs to "weed out the small number of cowboys" who tarnish the industry.

Niall Stuart, spokesman for the FSB, said: "We are interested in the idea of compulsory registration, as many accommodation providers are fed up having to invest to meet health and safety requirements and stringent hygiene regulations only to see someone undercut them by hanging a B&B sign outside their front door, knowing there is little chance of being inspected.

"Compulsory registration seems to be the only way to maintain minimum standards for visitors and to provide a more level playing field for business, although the success of a compulsory scheme would be dependent on it pulling together existing requirements and inspections, which would overall mean less regulation."

The paper argues small businesses in the tourism sector are struggling to deal with increasing fuel and energy costs and the growing tide of regulation. It also criticises the plethora of quality assurance schemes and the lack of flexibility within VisitScotland.

Stuart added: "The focus groups held with FSB members exposed a continuing lack of faith in VisitScotland, despite the effort that the organisation has put in to improving communications with the tourism industry.

"Quality assurance schemes seem far too prescriptive, especially for visitor attractions, and often contradict each other.

"For example, one set of inspectors tell you all your soaps need to be individually wrapped, but the green tourism scheme says you can't do this because it's bad for the environment.

"There is also growing concern about VisitScotland.com's lack of flexibility, with visitors being told parts of the country are full or there are no facilities in a given area, when in reality only those businesses registered with VisitScotland.com have no vacancies, or local attractions have simply not bothered to sign up to the website."

Last November VisitScotland came under increasing pressure after it was revealed it is to receive 550,000 of public money to invest in futuristic technology.

Patricia Ferguson, the tourism minister, said VisitScotland will get the money over the next two years to establish a new media unit to investigate how the organisation can make use of the latest communication techniques, including podcasts, video streaming and text messaging.

Last night a spokesperson for VisitScotland said: "At the request of the Scottish Executive, VisitScotland commissioned research into the pros and cons of compulsory registration and the links with quality. Essentially, after extensive surveys with the trade, consumers and international comparisons, it was found that there was a lack of any strong desire from most trade participants for the introduction of a statutory registration-based QA scheme, and consumers expressed no overall desire to see introduction of a statutory-based scheme.

"The conclusion to be drawn from the research was that there is no overall desire for, or proven strong benefits to be derived from, the introduction of statutory registration.

"The existing VisitScotland QA schemes are the best vehicles for making a bigger and better positive impact on the tourism product than compulsory registration."