Scotland! A staycation is your patriotic duty – leader comment

Taking a staycation in Scotland could help tide over an important part of the economy survive the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Time for people in Scotland to explore the wonderful scenery on their doorstep?

Millions of overseas tourists have flocked to Scotland for years, enticed by the country’s stunning scenery, romantic history and a certain boy wizard, among other reasons. It has created an industry worth billions to the economy. So anyone who thinks tourism is just about hotels, ‘visitor attractions’ and the like is mistaken. The benefits are enormous and they ripple throughout our economy.

A 2018 report on tourism’s wider economic effect noted it accounts for about one in 12 jobs in Scotland, stressing that it “plays an important role in the economies of Scotland’s major cities, while also making a substantial contribution to sustaining employment and economic activity in Scotland’s rural communities”. And this, regrettably, means Scotland is facing a bigger blow to its fortunes as a result of global coronavirus travel restrictions.

However, there is hope on the horizon. Falling numbers of new infections and deaths from Covid-19 mean that the Scottish Government is hopeful the current lockdown restrictions can be further relaxed and the tourist industry is already making plans to re-open, with Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel announcing it plans to do so on 1 August.

The vast numbers of international visitors we have seen in the past are unlikely to suddenly start pouring back into our airports – not least because the UK has seen one of the worst outbreaks of the virus.

So Scots taking staycations are vital. Fortunately, it seems like many of us, after long weeks stuck in the house, are champing at the bit with a new poll reporting three-quarters of people are considering an autumn or winter holiday in Scotland this year. They won’t replace all the lost income but it could tide many businesses over until better times return.

Hopefully, we have seen the worst of Covid-19. But if we end up losing large parts of our tourism industry, then its effects will last much longer than they need to.

Just as shopping local, for example by making an effort to support a nearby takeaway, can have a real impact, so can ‘holidaying local’.

If we all do our bit and the Government makes sure it acts quickly to change the restrictions when it’s safe to do so, we can help ensure tourism remains the economic powerhouse that is has been for years.

You could almost say that, if we are able, it’s our patriotic duty to take a staycation.

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