The ASSC provided evidence today (5th December) to Lord Brailsford, Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, as a Core Participant.
You can watch the evidence session here: Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry
Referencing our written evidence (attached below), the evidence covered some of the following points:
Sector Representation
· ASSC’s Background: Founded in 1978, ASSC represents over 1,700 members and advocates for Scotland’s self-catering sector, supporting diverse properties from urban apartments to rural cottages and castles
· Membership Demographics: 60% of properties are rural or on islands, with 55% being single-property operators. Additionally, 70% of members are female, and 60% are over 55
· Organisational Role and Funding: ASSC operates as a non-profit funded by member subscriptions and partner support, focusing on sustainability and responsible tourism.
Impact on Operations and Response
· Immediate Pandemic Response: ASSC instructed members to shut down operations on March 22, 2020, and facilitated access to financial and operational guidance.
· Communication with Members: Between March and October 2020, ASSC published over 240 updates and responded to thousands of inquiries, ensuring members were informed about regulations, support, and reopening guidance.
· Advocacy and Lobbying Efforts: ASSC worked with Scottish Government representatives and cross-party MSPs on eligibility issues for support grants, seeking parity with the rest of the UK.
· Sectoral Reopening: ASSC successfully advocated for an earlier reopening date of July 3, 2020, instead of July 15, arguing this could bring an additional £20 million to the Scottish economy.
Government Interaction and Communication
· Government Guidance and Confusion: ASSC experienced significant challenges with inconsistent and delayed guidance from the Scottish Government, which created confusion among members. For example, guidance on household restrictions shifted multiple times in September 2020, impacting member operations and creating public misinterpretation.
· Feedback Channels: ASSC provided ongoing feedback to the government on pandemic policies affecting self-catering businesses, including through surveys and collaboration with Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) and regional bodies.
· Cleaning Protocol Development: In collaboration with other UK associations, ASSC established cleaning protocols that were widely adopted and formed the basis for official safety certifications.
Financial Support
· Advocacy for Financial Parity: ASSC identified gaps in financial support for self-catering operators, particularly concerning grants from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Small Business Grants, initially restricted to operators with primary income from self-catering. ASSC’s lobbying led to eligibility expansions for additional operators.
· Specialized Funds: Following ASSC’s lobbying, a £1 million grant fund was created for self-catering businesses in August 2020, alongside additional VisitScotland funds. This targeted businesses falling through other financial support cracks.
· Regional Financial Disparities: ASSC highlighted differences in grant allocation between Scotland and England, recommending more equitable support measures for future crisis situations.
Lessons Learned
· Need for Clearer Guidance: ASSC recommends that future government guidance be developed with sector input, be timely, and be consistently applied across local authorities to avoid confusion.
· Equity in Financial Support: Emphasising the need for fair funding criteria, ASSC’s feedback suggests that future support mechanisms should recognise the diverse income structures of rural and tourism-dependent businesses.
· Ongoing Industry Engagement: ASSC underscores the importance of continued dialogue between the government and tourism sectors for effective recovery and resilience planning.
