Tourism is ranked as the most important industry in Scotland, eclipsing energy and agriculture, a poll found.
Eighty-seven per cent of respondents considered that the industry offered the greatest value to the Scottish economy. The survey found that tourism is almost universally well regarded with 94 per cent of respondents stating that they felt positively about the industry.
VisitScotland, the tourism organisation, announced its Scottish Thistle Awards for 2022-2023 with an emphasis this year on responsible and sustainable tourism. The awards are being held in media partnership with News UK, which publishes The Times and The Sunday Times.
The awards celebrate the best of the businesses and staff in the tourism and events industry, which is worth £11.5 billion to the Scottish economy.
Lord Thurso, the chairman of VisitScotland, said: “It is clear from the results of this survey that people across Scotland recognise the benefits of tourism as spreading far beyond the industry itself. Tourism creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy.
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“The Scottish Thistle Awards mark an important celebration of the best in our industry as we move towards recovery and support the ambition of Outlook 2030 [a joint tourism strategy], for Scotland to be a world leader in 21st-century tourism. Now more than ever, the Scottish Thistle Awards present an opportunity to showcase tourism as a force for good, helping to ensure that tourism is recognised for the positive impact it brings to the country.”
Nominations and entries for this year’s categories open today. For more information visit the website www.scottishthistleawards.co.uk.
The survey of 1,000 Scottish residents was carried out in October and November last year by 56 Degree Insight on behalf of VisitScotland.
