Fergus Ewing MSP lodged the following motion in Parliament following the final of BBC Scotland’s Scotland’s Greatest Escapes.
That the Parliament commends the recent BBC Scotland programme, Scotland’s Greatest Escape, for showcasing some of the very best holiday destinations and businesses within Scotland; notes that it enabled people to nominate over 1,000 holiday experiences, providing, it believes, a great opportunity for the public to show its support for Scottish tourism during a challenging period for the sector; understands that it featured such diverse and unique accommodation as boathouses, treehouses, bothies, cottages, cabins, and castles, as well as experiences from historical, luxury and adventure holidays; congratulates the overall winners, Inverloanan Bothies, in Argyll & Bute, which was selected by an expert industry panel of judges, and applauds all of those who participated in the series; believes that the show has helped to raise the awareness of a national audience of the quality of getaways, staycations and remarkable hidden gems in Scotland; considers that this is a vital industry for the country, generating billions of pounds per annum and providing thousands of jobs; appreciates the contribution, hard work and dedication of all of the professionals who work tirelessly and passionately in the tourism sector, and believes that such tourism businesses need to be supported by government and communities in the context of recovery from COvID-19 and the cost of living crisis, to ensure that they can continue to survive and thrive well into the future.
The motion was supported by: Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Stephanie Callaghan, Donald Cameron, Jackson Carlaw, Jackie Dunbar, Annabelle Ewing, Murdo Fraser, Kenneth Gibson, Pam Gosal, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Stephen Kerr, Bill Kidd, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Tess White
ASSC’s Chief Executive, Fiona Campbell, was part of the judging panel. She said:
“I am honoured and delighted to have been part of the Industry Panel of judges for Scotland’s Greatest Escape. What was very evident from the onset was the incredibly high calibre of applicants representing the self-catering accommodation sector, showcasing sustainable, diverse, high-quality experiences that are available right across Scotland. It was a fabulous opportunity to meet some very passionate people who run businesses that are among the best hospitality that Scotland has to offer.”
