FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched a new tourism strategy that aims to make the country a "world leader" in the industry.
Scotland Outlook 2030, which was revealed on Wednesday at an event in Glasgow, is a result of work between the Scottish Government and groups such as the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Visit Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, plus engagement with more than 2500 businesses across the country.
The strategy outlines four key priorities around Scotland's people, places, businesses and experiences, with the aim of making Scotland a leading tourist destination.
The publication aims to ensure Scotland has a sufficient workforce to cope with the influx of visitors, supporting areas across the country to manage tourism "effectively and responsibly", maintain Scottish destinations and tourist assets and support firms to be more sustainable.
The strategy report said: "The time for our industry to adapt has come and this positive change will be led by our vision: Scotland – we will be the leader in 21st century tourism."
READ MORE: Scottish islands' connectivity boost after KLM and Loganair deal
Sturgeon announced a funding package of £5.5 million in the next five years to support the strategy.
She said: "I welcome the publication of the new tourism strategy for Scotland.
"The sector is vitally important to Scotland, supporting more than 200,000 jobs and contributing over £7 billion to our economy.
"The Scottish Government and Visit Scotland have created a new £5.5m fund to support the implementation of the strategy, ensuring that the industry is equipped to deal with the demands of modern tourism and is supported to grow sustainably in the years ahead."
She added: "Scotland is blessed with an abundance of breath-taking scenery and rich historical sites which continue to attract people from across the world.
"We must work together to ensure our unrivalled tourism experience is sustainable and this new strategy and supporting fund provide a strong basis for achieving the industry's ambitions."
The strategy was created to adjust Scotland's outlook in the wake of climate change emerging as a global issue, the UK leaving the European Union and advancements in technology.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel