<![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ <![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/media/site/logo.png https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ en-gb Copyright: (C) Pressat Pressat <![CDATA[ Tourism turmoil taking it's toll in Scotland's first National Park ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/tourism-turmoil-taking-its-toll-in-scotlands-first-national-park-9502870b73ae7ff386723abf695eca7e/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/tourism-turmoil-taking-its-toll-in-scotlands-first-national-park-9502870b73ae7ff386723abf695eca7e/ Monday 22 February, 2021

Half a billion pounds slump in Loch Lomond visitor spend on the horizon



As the anniversary of the first Covid 19 lockdown approaches and with no end in sight to the current shutdown of tourism with travel restrictions likely to remain in place for some time, a former tourist chief for the area and current Chair of a leading National Park charity claims income generated from visitors in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is hurtling towards a massive drop of at least £500 million in the coming months with thousands of jobs already gone and many more under threat.



The lockdowns last year and so far this year have resulted in tourism revenues falling at a staggering rate in the National Park with over £300 million in losses racked up already and a further £200 million in the pipeline, including valuable advance bookings from the important English and overseas markets, according to James Fraser, Chair of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.



Loch Lomond and The Trossachs is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland with over 4 million visitors a year generating spend of £420 million and sustaining over 6,000 jobs directly and indirectly.


He warned the current prolonged lockdown, along with recent Scottish Government Ministerial advice not to book Easter or summer holidays, means many tourism businesses in the National Park and throughout Scotland continue to be in limbo clinging on by their fingertips in survival mode and unable to plan ahead with any certainty.


Mr Fraser said: ''Tourism and hospitality businesses are looking into the abyss with fixed costs increasing due to the recent lengthy cold snap and severely depressed levels of income from forward booking deposits, which are normally buoyant at this time of year. They are becoming more desperate.''


''While the various closure and sectoral grant schemes are helpful they fall well short of monthly fixed overheads with many businesses having now exhausted their reserves and borrowing more heavily on top of previous borrowings. More permanent tourism business closures have taken place and more are inevitable the longer the lockdown continues.''


''When businesses eventually do re-open various trading restrictions are likely still to be in place limiting capacity and trading potential meaning they could be quite exposed in cashflow terms without more support.''


He believes there has been a massive dip in forward bookings from the important overseas and English markets and there is going to be greater reliance on the Scottish market this year. Even with an uplift of a third in 2019 compared to 2018, at 7.7 million trips and a value of £1.4 billion this represented less than 25% of the overall value of tourism to Scotland in 2019.






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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 22 Feb 2021 16:37:08 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Environment & Nature Government Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ A83 Rest & Be Thankful Backing for Retention of Glen Croe Corridor ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/a83-rest-be-thankful-backing-for-retention-of-glen-croe-corridor-c28f4434a99fa3a31827f926a4987a26/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/a83-rest-be-thankful-backing-for-retention-of-glen-croe-corridor-c28f4434a99fa3a31827f926a4987a26/ Tuesday 3 November, 2020

Call for a more radical solution including a new protected Alpine style road and an Arrochar and Tarbet bypass


National Park conservation charity, the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, has come down in favour of building a new Alpine style replacement A83 in the existing Glen Croe corridor in response to the recent Scottish Government consultation on alternative routes for the strategically important A83 road link between mid-Argyll and Central Scotland.


John Urquhart, Vice-Chair of the Friends, said: ‘’For many years now the Scottish Government has regularly ploughed millions of pounds into a variety of measures, including large catch nets and sinks, to try and protect the A83 which hugs the side of the steep southern slopes of Beinn Luibhean and The Cobbler, but this is increasingly proving to be wholly inadequate to cope with the scale and frequency of landslips and flooding that has occurred in recent months and repeatedly over the past decade and more.


We are advocating that a more radical Alpine type solution is required which allows debris flows to reach the floor of Glen Croe unimpeded and involves possibly building a combination of cantilevers, viaducts and reinforced gallery canopies or tunnels on a new route not far from the existing Rest and Be Thankful route.’’


Mr Urquhart added: ’’Our European counterparts in more challenging mountainous areas such as the Alps and the Dolomites have for centuries used these various route building options with great success. We believe there is no reason why they would not work here provided the Scottish Government is willing to invest at the right level in an engineering solution which respects the outstanding scenic qualities of the area.


One of the benefits would be removal of the unsightly existing large catch nets which currently dominate the hillside landscape but, more importantly, this option would help to ensure economically fragile communities such as Tarbet, Arrochar, Cairndow and Inveraray continue to benefit from passing traffic upon which they are heavily reliant’’.


The Friends have also proposed, as part of a wider strategic review of the Loch Lomond to mid-Argyll A83 trunk route, that there would be significant benefits to be gained from exploring the potential to realign the route through the Tarbet-Arrochar corridor. They contend this would remove traffic bottlenecks and road safety issues as well as improving the quality of life for residents and enabling the area to prosper more as a flourishing tourist destination.





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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 03 Nov 2020 13:14:53 GMT Environment & Nature Government Lifestyle & Relationships Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Opinion Article Transport & Logistics Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Tourism in Meltdown ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/tourism-in-meltdown-6a7bbcc9faf53e19023f853f53074076/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/tourism-in-meltdown-6a7bbcc9faf53e19023f853f53074076/ Thursday 23 April, 2020

Fears of a £200m hit for tourism businesses in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park


Tourism in meltdown as losses grow at an alarming rate


A prolonged lockdown caused by the corona virus pandemic could see at least £200 million wiped off the value of tourism in the National Park this year with the potential loss of at least a quarter of the tourism businesses and over 1,200 redundancies according to a former tourism chief for the area and current Chairman of a leading National Park charity.


The unprecedented lockdown has resulted in tourism revenues tumbling at an alarming rate in the National Park with over £100 million in losses racked up already, including valuable advance group bookings from both UK and international markets being cancelled for the whole year, according to James Fraser, Chairman of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.


Loch Lomond and The Trossachs is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland with over 4 million visitors a year generating spend of over £420 million and sustaining thousands of jobs directly and indirectly.


He warned even if the current restrictions are lifted in time for the peak summer months tourism businesses will have a slow recovery due to factors such as essential social distancing precautions still requiring to be in force and many visitors from important UK and overseas markets being reluctant to travel until an effective virus vaccine is in place. He estimates total losses could exceed £200 million by the end of the year with many businesses struggling to survive.


Mr Fraser, who is in regular contact with a number of businesses in the National Park, said: ’’In the 40 years I have been involved in the tourist industry I have never witnessed a situation as bad as this and it is much worse than the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 that led to the shutdown of the countryside.


‘’In the past 6 weeks it has been upsetting to see so many well run predominantly family businesses, which have been built up with hard work over many years, in such a state of turmoil and fighting for their very existence through no fault of their own.


‘’Most businesses have gone from looking forward to what was shaping up to be a bumper year with good trading levels to a situation overnight with income generation falling to zero and with no end in sight.’’


He cited numerous examples of medium sized businesses already losing, on average, £1-2 million so far. Three cruise companies operating on the National Park lochs have lost over £4 million collectively. Hundreds of smaller tourist accommodation, catering and retail businesses and businesses in the supply chain such as tradesmen, laundries, bakers and butchers are also losing substantial sums.


Mr Fraser added: ’’The response to the growing financial crisis in the tourism sector from both the UK and Scottish Governments and local MSPs and MPS has been impressive and, following representations made locally and nationally, it is very encouraging to see some of the support packages being modified for the better.


‘’However, given the sheer scale of the downturn in tourism revenues, which no Government support scheme can fully cover, many businesses have been forced to take out very substantial loans as part of their fight for survival and it will take many years for them to recover from what has been, and continues to be, a catastrophic situation here in the National Park and elsewhere with tourism so hugely important to the economy’’


In a recent report the OECD estimate declines of 45% to 70% in the international tourism economy in 2020, depending on the duration of the crisis and the speed with which tourism rebounds.




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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 23 Apr 2020 17:30:01 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Environment & Nature Food & Drink Government Leisure & Hobbies Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Keep Balmaha Beautiful ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/keep-balmaha-beautiful-852c1871eecd1e8a27242d1cd8cdf367/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/keep-balmaha-beautiful-852c1871eecd1e8a27242d1cd8cdf367/ Wednesday 11 March, 2020

KEEPING BALMAHA BEAUTIFUL


The Oak Tree Inn is launching a major initiative to reduce litter in Balmaha. The pretty village on East Loch Lomondside is one of the most popular destinations in Loch Lomond.


At the heart of the loch side village is The Oak Tree Inn, St Mocha Coffee Shop and Village Shop, all owned by The Fraser Family. Over the last two decades the family has supported a wide range of community projects to help enhance and preserve the village.


Sadly, like many locations in the National Park Balmaha suffers from litter problems, especially on busy days. The family remain supportive to all activity by the National Park Authority, Stirling Council and Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs to resolve litter issues across the park.


To tackle the problem The Oak Tree Inn has today launched a new campaign to Keep Balmaha Beautiful. Visitors to the village will now see boards encouraging them to collect litter pickers and refuse bags from The Oak Tree Inn’s reception for a 10 to 15-minute tidy. Afterwards the Oak Tree will recycle as much of the waste as possible.


Owner Sandy Fraser said ‘We were impressed by a similar initiative to tidy English beaches and were encouraged to introduce our own clean-up campaign to Balmaha. As importantly as sharing the load of keeping the village tidy, we believe that public involvement will send a powerful message, with the hope of discouraging the minority that are guilty of dropping litter’


Over the years many customers have offered to assist us whilst picking litter. We are hopeful that by having more people involved, and by providing them with appropriate equipment we will be to make an even more significant impact’


Owner Stuart Fraser added ‘We want the clean ups to be manageable for visitors, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. We encourage people participating to share pictures on social media, which will help to get the message across. We will be rewarding those who do by placing them in a monthly prize draw.’




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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 11 Mar 2020 15:04:32 GMT Charities & non-profits Environment & Nature Farming & Animals Health Leisure & Hobbies Public Sector & Legal Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Trossachs Traffic Chaos ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/trossachs-traffic-chaos-44f1e93cf27964078235261c3ac947de/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/trossachs-traffic-chaos-44f1e93cf27964078235261c3ac947de/ Thursday 23 January, 2020

Trossachs Traffic Chaos Requires Urgent Action


Inconsiderate roadside parking causes congestion problems


After another weekend of traffic chaos in the heart of the Trossachs with cars parking indiscriminately on both roadside verges beside Loch Achray and near the popular Ben A'an footpath, the chief of the National Park's conservation charity has called for urgent steps to be taken to avoid another year of chaos.


James Fraser, Chairman of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs said:'' We are only a few weeks into the 2020 and there have already been major problems on at least 5 days with snakelike lines of cars parked on the verges of the main Trossachs arterial road which has poor sightlines. This has led traffic coming to a standstill with larger vehicles such as coaches and emergency vehicles unable to get through which is of great concern and this requires to be urgently addressed to avoid a further year of chaos.''


He added:'' It is great to see more people becoming active and hillwalking in the area following the recent investments in hill path improvements, as part of the Mountains and the People project involving several agencies, but unfortunately this was done in isolation of other much needed improvements such as the creation of additional off road parking. The small 30 space car park at the foot of Ben A'an simply can't cope and is often full by 9.00am.''


He also considers bold steps should be taken to introduce a regular eco shuttle bus service linking the popular hotspots with Aberfoyle and Callander to ease congestion and improve the area's green credentials. The Friends led an unsuccessful bid for funding early last year to introduce pilot eco bus shuttle services in the Trossachs and on East Loch Lomondside.


His calls for action were backed up by Gordon Allan, Managing Director of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott who said: '' Any time there is good weather thousands of people take the opportunity to visit the Trossachs for sightseeing and outdoor recreation and the limited car parking infrastructure is unable to cope. When I was on duty at the weekend I saw for myself the major problems created along the Brig o Turk/Loch Katrine corridor as a result of roadside parking by hillwalkers heading to Ben A'an which now attracts over 60,000 walkers a year and this is now a regular occurrence.


I am aware there are plans to introduce a clearway which is welcome bu this is likely to simply move more pressure for parking to our site at Trossachs Pier and other parts of the Trossachs. There is clearly a need for more investment in car parking and a revival of the previous efforts to introduce a shuttle bus service linking the heart of the Trossachs with surrounding communities.''


The Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust with the support of the National Park and the Friends has just lodged a £400,000 funding bid with Visit Scotland for car parking and other infrastructure improvements at Loch Katrine and for refreshing signing and information around the Trossachs Trail to help relieve some of the visitor pressure.


The traffic concerns are shared by Trossachs Community Council who have identified this as a major issue in the recently published Community Action Plan and there are calls for agencies such as Forest & Land Scotland and the Park Authority to work in partnership to improve car parking at honeypot locations such as Ben A'an.


Ends


Photo captions :Road verge parking near Ben A'an last weekend which is now a regular year round occurrence


.




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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 23 Jan 2020 12:21:33 GMT Education & Human Resources Environment & Nature Government Health Lifestyle & Relationships Transport & Logistics Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Mountain man Tom Weir’s statue site targeted by thieves ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/mountain-man-tom-weirs-statue-site-targeted-by-thieves-f2311b98f2d722e6819f98e6c5fb4dc1/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/mountain-man-tom-weirs-statue-site-targeted-by-thieves-f2311b98f2d722e6819f98e6c5fb4dc1/ Monday 2 December, 2019

In the run up to the 5th anniversary of the unveiling a statue in honour of Scotland’s most loved mountain man, Tom Weir, the site, where it is located at Balmaha on Loch Lomondside, was targeted by thieves at the weekend.


They broke into donations posts and stole funds earmarked for maintaining the popular statue and associated picnic area.


The theft of money from the donation posts was discovered by visitors to the site yesterday ( Sunday) who immediately reported it to the proprietor of the adjacent Oak Tree Inn, Sandy Fraser who looks after the popular site on behalf of conservation and heritage charity, the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and the Tom Weir Memorial Group.


Sandy Fraser of the Oak Tree Inn said:’’ This is very sad news and a setback for the efforts to raise funds to maintain this hugely popular site. It follows on from two other break ins this year at our St Mocha Coffee Shop and one of our nearby cottages.


Hopefully the police will be able to track down the thieves who are undermining the great work of voluntary groups in honouring the memory of Tom Weir who did so much to popularise the great outdoors.’’


James Fraser, Chairman of the Friends added: " We are very disappointed that the Tom Weir site has been targeted by thieves who used bolt cutters to remove padlocks from three donation posts.


Fortunately, we regularly empty the donation posts so the amount stolen will not have been substantial but, nonetheless, this thoughtless act serves as reminder that we need to remain viligant and increase our efforts to protect this very special heritage site which has been enjoyed by almost a million visitors over the past 5 years.’’


The Tom Weir site, which incorporates a very lifelike statue of Tom, a mountain garden and a picnic area beside Balmaha Bay on the lochside is visited by around 200,000 visitors a year. Organisers are busy preparing to mark the millionth visitor in the run up to the 5th anniversary of the statue unveiling on the 29th December which is also the 105th anniversary of Tom’s birthday.


It costs around £5,000 a year to maintain the statue and the site in good condition for visitors to enjoy and the funds raised from visitors via the on-site donation posts make an important contribution to raising this sum.


ENDS






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https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 02 Dec 2019 14:40:31 GMT Charities & non-profits Environment & Nature Leisure & Hobbies Travel & Tourism