MEMBERS of Scotland's wildlife tourism body generate more than £9 million a year for the nation's economy, The Scotsman can reveal.
A report for Wild Scotland, the national wildlife and nature tourism operators' association, showed that its 70 members have an average annual turnover of more than £223,000.
The figures – the first to be compiled by the organisation – are based s
olely on the money tourists spent with tour guides and other operators. They do not include secondary spending on accommodation, transport and food.
The survey showed members contributed a combined total of £9.3 million to the Scottish economy. A 2006 economic report from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said that bird tourism alone added £5 million to Scotland's economy.
More than a third of businesses contributing to the Wild Scotland survey said their turnover had increased on the previous year, while 51 per cent planned to take on more staff in the coming year.
Caroline Warburton, manager of Wild Scotland, said: "The wildlife tourism sector is an important part of the economy, particularly the rural economy, and many businesses provide vital jobs in rural locations.
"By providing wildlife watching activities, many of these companies provide a reason for visitors to go out to these rural locations and spend time there – rather than just driving through.
"There are a huge number of people interested in watching wildlife and so there is a huge opportunity for businesses.
"The survey was carried out while concerns about the economy were being raised – yet the industry is still positive about the future."
Forty per cent of members that responded had fewer than 500 customers, but a quarter had between 1,001 and 5,000, and a fifth had more than 5,000. Overall, the average number of customers per business was 16,047, with the average spend per customer standing at £258.
The main barriers to running and developing wildlife tourism activities in Scotland were marketing costs, legislative problems and difficulty making enough profit in the early years of business, the survey found.
Legislative problems included government "bureaucracy" and "excessive regulation", but also the granting of planning permission for building in sensitive areas and disturbance caused by "uncontrolled" access.
Wildlife tourism operators also highlighted climate change and the "industrialisation" of the countryside as concerns.
Overall, 83 per cent of respondents expected the wildlife tourism sector in Scotland to "grow" or "grow significantly" in the next three years.
Previous figures for the sector vary depending on whether accommodation and travel costs are included in the calculation. In 2006, VisitScotland estimated the sector was worth £260 million a year to the Scottish economy.
Wild Scotland estimates that it represents around a quarter of wildlife tourism businesses in the country.
The organisation was founded in 2003 to "encourage the commercial operation, development and promotion of wildlife and nature tourism in Scotland".
