A TOURISM chief warned yesterday that Scotland was not on track to meet a key target for the industry.
Philip Riddle, of VisitScotland, spoke out after figures showed that the amount raised by tourism increased by 0.5 per cent in 2007.
He said "significant action" would be needed to meet the target of increasing revenue by 50 per cent by 2015. M
r Riddle described the increase in tourism revenue – which was £4.1 billion in 2007 – as "marginal".
He added that the 2015 target remained achievable, but "we are certainly not on track and it will require significant action from everyone involved in tourism, in the private and public sectors".
Iain Herbert, the chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Forum, said: "The figures for 2007, despite only a marginal increase, still highlight the importance of tourism across the Scottish economy.
"There is no doubt we are facing a tough couple of years ahead; we must continue to plan and invest for the future and not fall behind the highly industrious world competition, either on quality or offer."
The figures, from the UK Tourism Survey 2007, revealed the amount raised from international tourism to Scotland fell by 7 per cent to £1.3 billion.
But there was a 4 per cent increase in revenue from domestic tourism, with this part of the industry worth £2.8 billion.
That means the domestic sector here outperformed the rest of the UK, where revenue growth was 1 per cent. Jim Mather, the tourism minister, insisted that the industry was "holding its own".
He argued that the target of increasing tourism revenue by 50 per cent between 2005 and 2015 was still achievable.
Mr Mather said: "These figures for 2007 show Scottish tourism holding its own against strong external influences, including the international credit crunch and the rising cost of fuel."
The full article contains 316 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
