A well-attended tourism hustings took place yesterday at the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness, offering self-catering operators, tourism businesses and local residents a valuable opportunity to engage directly with political candidates ahead of the Scottish Parliament election.
The event brought together representatives from across the political spectrum to discuss key sectoral issues, including short-term let regulation, housing challenges, non-domestic rates, and the visitor levy. Discussion highlighted the vital role the self-catering sector plays in the Highland economy – estimated to provide an annual £200m boost to the region, supporting nearly 7,000 jobs – while also addressing the challenges businesses continue to face.
A lively audience Q&A, skilfully chaired by Association of Scotland Self-Caterers (ASSC) Chief Executive Fiona Campbell MBE, ensured that business perspectives remained central to the discussion. The panel included:
Unsurprisingly, short-term let regulation emerged as a key topic, with differing views expressed on the current framework. While some candidates supported measures such as control areas – as Highland Council consider expanding this policy – others argued that regulation had gone too far without clear evidence of benefit. However, there was broad agreement that the balance was not yet right.
Housing was another hot topic. Given the open nature of the hustings, a representative from activist group Living Rent posed a question on the issue. While candidates agreed on the need to increase housing supply, the perception that short-term lets were a primary driver of the housing crisis was challenged, with panellists noting the need to build more homes and tackle empty properties.
The proposed visitor levy prompted mixed responses. While some candidates supported the measure, particularly if revenues were reinvested into tourism-related infrastructure, others raised concerns about cost pressures, administrative complexity and competitiveness. There was also agreement that motorhomes should be considered within the levy framework.
Business confidence was a recurring concern throughout, particularly in relation to crippling non-domestic rates increases. The large rises were described as unsustainable, with calls from across the panel for reform, review or a pause in further changes in the next parliament.
The ASSC will continue to engage with policymakers across all parties in the lead-up to the election and beyond, ensuring that the priorities of Scotland’s self-catering sector remain firmly on the agenda.
Fiona Campbell MBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said:
“We were delighted with the level of interest for our hustings and grateful to all the candidates and attendees who took part. It was a lively and constructive debate that clearly demonstrated the challenges facing industry.
While there were differing views on specific policies, it was heartening to hear cross-party recognition about the importance of self-catering and tourism both to the local and national economy.
Ensuring these voices of these businesses are heard is vital as we approach the election and we look forward to continuing this important dialogue with whoever is elected in May.”