Many people in Scotland are reporting a good year so far for the Scottish tourism industry despite the high costs of fuel. Hotel bookings are up on 2007 and many tourists from the European continent have brought vehicles with them.
On a recent visit to Durness in the far north-west of Scotland I was surprised to see so many foreign vehicles, ranging from motorbikes and small cars through to motorhomes and campervans. Once I arrived at the village it was wonderful to see so many tourists enjoying the absolutely stunning beaches around Durness. Many people I had been speaking to in the county of Sutherland around springtime were worried given the high cost of fuel in the UK at the moment but it doesn’t seem to have put many tourists off.
The United Kingdom has some of the highest petrol prices in the world at the moment and scotland has some of the highest in the UK. In parts of the country the prices have reached £1.35 per litre. Although this has had a dramatic effect on locals and local business it does not appear to have affected tourists wishing to visit Scotland.
Fortunately Scotland’s magnificent scenery, incredible history, stunning beaches, fascinating cities and friendly people seem to be worth travelling for in the eyes of our foreign friends. Studies also show tourism from England is up on last year with ore people than ever driving north of the border to enjoy a Scottish holiday.
As a final word lets hope the fuel prices lower or the governemnt sees fit to take some tax-lowering action to ease the strain on tourists and locals alike. And fellow Scots – lets make an extra special effort to welcome our tourists in the light of recent fuel price rises!
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