Mapmakers pinpoint staycation success

SINCE the start of the global downturn, talk has turned to the rise of the "staycation", as holidayers abandon the beaches of Spain and France and instead look to what is on offer on their doorstep.

But proof of the extent to which the staycation has taken hold has shown itself in one relatively unsung area of Scotland's tourism industry - map making.

In recent years, Stirling-based cartographers Harvey Maps, which specialises in maps for walkers, cyclists and climbers, has seen their sales rise by 3 per cent each year.

One new map of the Southern Highlands in particular, taking in the likes of Ben Lomond, Crianlarich, Ben Ledi and Ben Venue, has proved particularly popular, selling at three times the rate of its other maps covering the same area.

Susan Harvey, one of the founders of the company, said: "Our maps have seen steady growth despite the downturn and of course that's the complete opposite of what a great many other people have experienced.

"I think people have been staying at home rather than going abroad, and walking is a very economical past time. All you need are a few pieces of equipment and away you go."

She said that the company had already suffered an experience similar to that which the wider economy is undergoing when foot and mouth disease struck in 2001.

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"In that year we lost half our turnover on 23 February overnight," she said. "By the end of the summer we had to cut our staff by more than half.

"So we know what a proper downturn is like and we were like everybody else apprehensive before the current downturn but we've not only maintained our sales but continued our trend growth."

However, she ascribes the success of the Southern Highlands to the areas ease of access: "It covers a really exciting range of Munros and other hills that are very accessible from the Central Belt and by the motorway from further south. So it is ideal really for an awful lot of people."

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said that the tourist board was attempting to capitalise on the burgeoning popularity of adventure tourism and walking holidays, which he said were worth almost 500 million to the economy.

He said: "January will signal the start of Active Scotland, a legacy of Homecoming 2009 and a chance to get everyone to appreciate that they can get active right on their own doorstep.

"Scotland's stunning scenery means there is no better place to get active and we are sending that message to visitors at home and around the world."