News

ASVA is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Golding as its new CEO. Michael takes over the role from outgoing CEO Gordon Morrison.

Michael brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. He has spent the last four years as CEO of Visit Inverness Loch Ness (VILN), the UK’s first Tourism Business Improvement District, representing 500 tourism business members from 33 sectors across 1200 square miles. Under his leadership VILN became the UK’s first carbon-neutral BID and has won multiple awards including the UKInbound DMO of the Year in 2022 and, this year, the prestigious ITB Earth Award for global leadership in sustainable tourism.

Michael also sits on a number of key tourism industry groups including the Scottish Tourism Alliance Executive Board and the Tourism & Hospitality Industry Leadership Group. He has also enjoyed a long and successful association with the largest charity in the highlands, High Life Highland, currently serving as Vice-Chair.

Prior to joining VILN, Michael held senior management positions within the activities and health & wellbeing sectors.

On Michael’s appointment as CEO, Paul Nixon, ASVA Chair, said,“Michael is an established and influential figure in Scottish Tourism with a proven track record of inspirational leadership within a membership setting. He will be a terrific ambassador for ASVA and the wider attractions sector and will continue to lead with the same passion, dedication, professionalism and expertise that we have enjoyed for the last five years under Gordon’s stewardship.”  

On accepting the position, Michael said,“I am delighted to be joining ASVA at a key time for Scottish visitor attractions. My aim is to ensure we provide the greatest value for ASVA members and deliver the vision, to support and inspire Scottish visitor attractions to deliver outstanding experiences for each and every visitor. I look forward to meeting the diverse membership across Scotland and working together to see this vision realised.”

Michael will take up his new role on Monday 14^th August 2023.

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for April 2023, are now available to view in the Members Area of our website. 

Comparing the 2023 figures to those of 2022 continues to present some challenges simply because there was considerable covid disruption in the early part of 2022, and as a consequence, there were issues with consumer confidence relating to the visiting pf indoor attractions. International travel restrictions were also still very much in place, so trading conditions remained far from ‘normal’.  It is therefore little surprise to find that when we look at the visitor numbers from 2023 vs those of 2022, we see that the April ’23 figures are up more than 20% on those of the corresponding month in 2022, and indeed, up further still, by more than 30%, when comparing the year to date (January to April). 

Whilst we can, and should, celebrate the fact that numbers are up on 2022, we need to look back to 2019 to get a more accurate benchmark for the recovery. Comparing April 2023 figures with those of April 2019, we find that, across all ASVA member sites, the sector was down by just over 9% for the month, and for the year to date (January- April), ASVA members are down by just over 11%. Whilst this shows there is still some way to go before the industry is back to pre-pandemic levels, and for certain parts of the sector, there is still some way to go, the trend we are seeing is one of gradual improvement month by month, with numbers slowing starting to climb back up towards the high watermark of 2019.

Looking at the figures in a little more detail, the recovery of the sector is definitely somewhat patchy. It is interesting to note that, in the main, attractions in the Highlands of Scotland are outperforming those in other regions, with Highland attractions up 15.8% for the month and 0.3% year to date on 2019 figures. This trumps other areas where the recovery is stronger, including Edinburgh & Lothians (down 5.6% for the month and 8% year to date on 2019) and Fife (down 1.5% for the month and 9.8% year to date on 2019). Aberdeen and Grampian is perhaps the most interesting to view however, as the year to date figures there see attractions in this region up by a very impressive 2.3%. There are signs of a slight slowdown however, as the monthly figures show that April was ‘only’ up 2.2% on 2019, so a significantly slower increase than that seen in the Highlands.

In terms of type of attraction, Outdoor/Nature attractions continue to perform well, up 13.4% year to date on 2019, though they are a little down (by 5.2%) for the month. Perhaps the most interesting development is the significant increase in visitors to Historic Houses/Palaces (up 3.1% for the month and 9.7% year to date on 2019) and Other Historic Properties (up a staggering 34.7% for the month and 22.1% year to date on 2019). There was clearly a significant Eater bounce for ‘Other Historic Properties’ in particular, with visitors flocking though the doors to undertake Easter related activities.

These are all positive figures to report, but as can be seen from other regions and other sector types are seeing much more patchy performance, e.g. Greater Glasgow down 13.9% for the month and 18.1% year to date on 2019, and Museums/Art Galleries down 15.9% for the month and 24.5 year to date on 2019. And, as mentioned last month, visitor numbers are just one metric here and are not providing us with the complete story in terms of the recovery. Rising costs and staffing recruitment challenges are undoubtedly impacting on performance and the bottom line across many attractions. Even with more visitors returning in good numbers in 2023, it is therefore not necessarily the case that every attraction operator is looking confidently ahead.

The ASVA Visitor Attractions Monitor 2022 End of Year Report, and additional annex, are both now available. These documents provide members with details of visitor figures for 2022, compared to both 2021 and 2019, as well as a wealth of additional data and insights for the year including:

• Visitor profile information
• Adult and child visitation
• Average spend
• Web & social media activity
• Key priorities for the industry
• Challenges faced within the sector

The reports show that, despite the fact that the shadow of covid-19 was still present in 2022, and other external events beyond the sector’s control, most notably the cost-of-living crisis, presented considerable challenges, it was a year when many attractions saw visitor numbers gradually creep up towards pre-pandemic levels. Visitor numbers to ASVA attractions improved by over 88% when compared to 2021. Admittedly 2021 visitor figures are a relatively low bar from a comparison standpoint, but it is never-the-less pleasing to see this improvement. However, it is only by comparing the 2022 visitor figures with those of 2019, the last year without any kind of pandemic disruptions, that we get a full and accurate picture of to what extent 2022 was indeed a year of recovery. Overall visitor numbers to ASVA attractions in 2022 were just over 23% down on those reported in 2019.

It is also worth noting that, whilst visitor numbers remained lower than what we have experienced pre-pandemic for the majority of attractions, and despite the cost-of-living crisis, those who did cross our doors, were looking to spend money. Average visitor spend on retail in 2022 was an impressive £2.90 per visit, as opposed to £2.27 in 2021 and 1.96 in 2019, and the average spend in catering was £2.82, up from £2.23 in 2021 and a far more modest £1.40 in 2019. Of course, inflationary pressures and increasing prices will have played a role in this, however the trend we saw emerging in 2020 and 2021, where improved visitor experience, with visitors enjoying more time and space and more interactions with staff working at our venues, was leading to higher spend per visit, has continued in 2022.

Both the end of year report and the annex can be viewed in the Statistics, Surveys & Research section of the Members Area of the ASVA website (please note: scroll to the bottom of the page to find the reports).

As we alerted members on Wednesday (31st May), ASVA has some significant news to share. Our CEO, Gordon Morrison, will be leaving ASVA in a few months’ time to join the Association for Cultural Enterprises (ACE) as their new CEO, taking his passion for supporting and inspiring the sector he loves onto a multi-national stage.   
 
Gordon joined ASVA in the summer of 2018, and has led the organisation through some of the most challenging periods our sector has ever experienced. Despite these unique challenges, ASVA has grown and thrived. Membership has increased by 40%, our influence and reputation as a force for good for the sector and wider tourism industry has grown exponentially and membership engagement levels in our activities are at an all-time high. ASVA now delivers more for our members than we have at any other stage in our history, and this is reflected in the very high approval ratings the organisation attained in last year’s membership survey relating to ASVA’s performance and value. Gordon has also overseen the successful launch and implementation of a new five-year strategy, establishing our new vision, mission and values and giving our organisation a renewed sense of direction as we continue to grow. 
 
On his time at ASVA, Gordon said: “I have enjoyed an incredible 5 years as ASVA CEO. Little did I know what I was getting myself into when I joined the organisation back in the summer of 2018. I’m pretty sure dealing with pandemics and the enforced closure of the sector was not in the job description, however I have learned so much in my time here and I am very proud of where I will be leaving the organisation. ASVA has never been in a stronger position, and I am confident my replacement will find all the building blocks in place – be that in relation to our strategy and business plan, our standing within the tourism community and within the corridors of power, or crucially, our reputation and engagement levels with our members – to continue to build on the successes of the last 5 years. 
 
“They will also find a small, but talented and passionate executive team and a thoroughly dedicated and knowledgeable Board of Directors to support them. 
 
“I do not see this as the end of my engagement with ASVA. I look forward to seeing many members at the ASVA conference in November, which ACE will be supporting, and I am sure there will be many continued collaborations between ASVA and ACE in the months and years ahead!’’ 
 
Of course, this is not a farewell to Gordon as yet. He will remain in post throughout the summer to support the ASVA Board with the recruitment of his successor, and to ensure an effective and smooth handover when the new CEO is appointed, to ensure minimal disruption to ASVA services for our members. Indeed, ASVA is committed to providing even more quality services, webinars and events over this period. 
 
The recruitment of our new CEO now starts in earnest. The ASVA Board, supported by Gordon, is currently drafting the Job Description and Job Advert, with the intention that applications will be sought within the next few days. 

Anyone interested in finding out more about the CEO role can contact the ASVA Chair, Paul Nixon, on pnixon@realmarykingsclose.com for an initial informal chat.  

We are sure that everyone will warmly congratulate Gordon on his new role and will look forward to an exciting new chapter for ASVA ahead. 

The First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has published a new policy prospectus, setting out how he wants the Scottish Government to deliver for Scotland over the next three years. 

In his first major statement to Parliament, the First Minister said three missions, centred on the themes of equality, opportunity and community, will be central to his government. 

ASVA is heartened by the fact that the First Minister announced that he will seek to reach agreement on a ‘New Deal for Scottish Business’. In his statement, he revealed that the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will be pushed from August 2023 to March 2024, that proposals on alcohol advertising will go “back to the drawing board” and that the Scottish Government will look at ways to use Business Rates to boost business and further support communities.

These are all sensible steps and ASVA is pleased that Mr Yousaf has recognised the need to reset the relationship with businesses and has listened to the many voices from within the tourism community, including ASVA’s, about concerns regarding recent policy decisions and proposals and their impact on our industry.   For full details of the prospectus, entitled ‘New Leadership – A Fresh Start’, please click here and you can read the First Minister’s full statement at this link.  

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for February 2023 are now available to view in the Members Area of our website.

As has been noted in the previous report for January, comparing early 2023 figures to those of early 2022 presents some challenges, primarily because there was still quite considerable covid disruption in early 2022, as well as issues with consumer confidence, particular over matters regarding visiting indoor attractions. In February 2022, we were still dealing with the ramifications of the omicron variant of covid-19 and, of course, international travel restrictions were still very much in place, so trading conditions were far from ‘normal’.  It is therefore little surprise to find that when we look at the visitor numbers from 2023 vs those of 2022, we see that the Feb ’23 figures are up a massive 43.4% on those of the corresponding month in 2022, and indeed, for the first two months of the year, they are up by 47.6% on the same period in 2022.

Whilst we can, and should, celebrate the fact that numbers are considerably up on 2022, we need to look back to 2019 to get a more accurate benchmark for the recovery. Comparing February 23 figures with those of February 2019, we find that, across all ASVA member sites, the sector was down by 15.2%, and for the year to date (Jan & Feb figures combined), ASVA members are down by just under 14%. This shows that there is still some way to go before we can talk of a full sector wide recovery.

Looking at the figures in a little more details, there is no indication as yet that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting too much on consumer behaviour. Indeed, paid attractions (down 6% for the month and 8% for the year) appear to be faring better than free attractions (down 20% for the month and 17% ytd), so there is no clear sign of visitors sacrificing paid for experiences for free activities. There is also little in the way of a pattern when it comes to types of attraction being visited. Outdoor sites continue to perform above the norm, for the most part at least, with Outdoor/Nature attractions up 17% for the month and 29% ytd, indicating that people are still enjoying the great outdoors despite the inclement weather. However, it is also interesting to see Historic Houses and Wildlife attractions also enjoying a relatively good month (up 10% and 13% respectively), so it is not just outdoor attractions that have been attracting visitors.  

Perhaps the best word to describe the year so far is ‘patchy’. Some sites are enjoying a very good start to the year, whilst others are still to see a full recovery. And, of course, visitor numbers are just one part of the story here. Rising costs are impacting almost every attraction across the country, and with most operators unwilling or unable to pass these costs onto visitors, margins are becoming tighter and tighter. Even with more visitors returning therefore, it is not necessarily the case that we can say that everyone is feeling confident about business success this year.

However, here’s to numbers continuing to pick up month after month, and hopefully, we are indeed starting to see the long-awaited recovery for our sector.

Scotland’s visitor attractions enjoyed a 53.5% increase in visitor numbers in 2022 as COVID restrictions eased, but numbers still fell someway short of pre-pandemic levels.

Attractions across the country recorded 48,675,631 visits, up 16,961,432 on 2021.

Edinburgh Castle returned to the top spot as Scotland’s most popular paid-for attraction, with visitor numbers jumping 217.6% to 1,346,168.

The National Museum of Scotland remains the number one free attraction with numbers increasing 198.7% to 1,973,751.

Previous procedures to manage visitor numbers, including pre-booking tickets and advised direction of travel, were removed by many venues as restrictions eased.

However, figures from the Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University and ASVA show that, despite the increase, overall numbers are 16% down on the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Paid entry attractions saw 15,053,896 visitors across Scotland in 2022, up 63.2% on the previous year.

Free venues had 33,621,735 visitors last year compared to 22,490,582 in 2021 – an increase of 49.5%.

Edinburgh Castle’s success was replicated by Stirling Castle, up 181.4% to 418,180, and Urquhart Castle up 233.6% to 357,154.

Meanwhile, the numbers visiting Newhailes House and Gardens, in Musselburgh, increased 316.6% to 272,737.

Visitor numbers to Greyfriars Kirkyard, the second most popular free attraction after the National Museum of Scotland, tripled from 487,445 to 1,967,871.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum and the Riverside Museum, in Glasgow, posted strong years, up 237% and 275% respectively. The Burrell Collection, which reopened last year after a £66 million revamp, recorded 482,984 visits.

Professor John Lennon, Director of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “This survey evidences a recovering visitor attraction market dominated by domestic demand.

“Scottish visitor attractions face a very daunting trading environment characterised by cost inflation and labour shortages- problems that have been slow to abate. Recovery is likely to continue but will remain highly dependent upon UK customers for the medium term.”

Gordon Morrison, Chief Executive of ASVA, said: ‘‘Whilst it is encouraging to see somewhat of a recovery for the attractions sector, performance in 2022 was quite patchy.

“Not all operators enjoyed a successful year, and with visitor numbers still considerably down on pre-pandemic levels, there is a long way to go before we can talk of a full sector-wide recovery. Concerns about what the ongoing cost-of-living crisis will mean for visitation and spend remain for many.”

ASVA is calling on the UK and Scottish Governments to take further action to support the industry in the face of rising costs and to revisit any policy decisions that may increase the financial burden on business.

Please note a separate ‘ASVA only’ end of year report is being published in the coming weeks which will contain considerably more detail about visitor numbers, spend etc in 2022.

To view the top ten lists of free & paid attractions in 2022, please click here.

The very best of Scotland’s tourism and events industry will be celebrated once again as nominations for the Scottish Thistle Awards 2023 are now open.

For the first time, the awards will include the categories Celebrating Thriving Communities, Inclusive Tourism, Climate Action and Tourism and Hospitality Employer of the Year along with nine further categories.

Also for the first time this year, the South of Scotland Destination Alliance will deliver the South of Scotland Thistle Awards, inviting nominations and entries from the tourism and events industry in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

There are a total of 14 regional categories in this year’s programme, celebrating the very best of Scotland’s tourism industry, including of course our wonderful visitor attractions. The three national-only categories celebrate Scotland’s outstanding sporting events, business events, and luxury experiences. New categories introduced for the first time this year include Celebrating Thriving Communities, Inclusive Tourism and Climate Action Awards.
 
Entries for the awards are now open until Friday 12^th May. Find out more about the categories, enter and/or nominate a fellow tourism business today here.

The results of the latest wave of public sentiment research, commissioned by our friends at the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) and undertaken by insights consultants at Decision House, were published last week. The results show a growing consumer confidence on the part of the UK public, greater appetite and optimism to visit and revisit attractions and to spend their time in special places with special people.
 
The recovery in visitor admissions is likely to continue in the coming months, with audiences more likely to say they will visit attractions more often than they did during spring/summer last year.
 
There are also indications that appetite for visiting has improved slightly since September 2022, although there remains a notable minority saying they will visit less often – driven by deepening concerns about their own financial situation.
 
29% of the public now spontaneously mention financial concerns when asked how they feel about visiting attractions compared with 24% in September 2022, with 35–54-year-olds and families most likely to mention these concerns.
 
There is increasing evidence that overall, the public are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel of their financial concerns. However, this is very much being led by those whose financial situation is better. Among the half of the public who feel worse off, the situation is if anything, worsening and the gap in visit confidence between the two groups is widening.
 
If attractions need to attract those who feel worse off, promoting a ‘value’ message this spring / summer will be key – online discounts, vouchers, memberships / annual passes etc. – as low confidence turns into conscious actions to cut back.
 
Appetite for visiting free attractions appears to have accelerated and the negative impact on visiting paid attractions has stabilised, although again, has become slightly worse among those feeling worse off than a year ago.
 
The outlook for memberships/season passes has improved slightly since September, with existing members now more likely to use and renew. Again however, this improvement is driven solely by those whose financial situation is more positive.
 
The return of longer overseas holidays and a diminished appetite for domestic holidays (especially short breaks in the shoulder seasons) is also likely to impact attractions reliant upon the staying away audience, although this may present opportunities for those with a more local, day trip audience.

To view the full report, please click on this link. ASVA is grateful to our friends at ALVA for both undertaking this research and for sharing it freely.

As members will undoubtedly be aware, the new First Minister Humza Yousaf has been quick out of the blocks in unveiling his new Cabinet and appointments as junior ministers, with quite a considerable shake-up that has possible ramifications for our industry. A full list of all the appointments can be found by clicking here.

Members will likely be aware that Ivan McKee, former Minister for Tourism, has left the Scottish Government and there has been no appointment of a specific Tourism Minister to replace him. Instead, tourism now comes under the remit of Richard Lochhead in his role as Minister for Small Business, Innovation & Trade. In this role, Mr Lochhead will support the new Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work & Energy, Neil Gray.

ASVA is disappointed to see Mr McKee leave his role, as our CEO, Gordon Morrison, had built a positive working relationship with the Minister with very good lines of communication established. It is also disappointing that there is no dedicated Tourism Minister within the Scottish Government anymore, especially as this is an industry that is vital to Scotland economically, socially and culturally. Gordon has, however, written to both Mr Lochhead and Mr Gray welcoming them to their new roles, sharing with them insights from ASVA’s most recent sector-wide survey, highlighting the challenges facing many in our sector just now, and emphasising the need for the Scottish Government to further recognise the importance of our sector to Scotland.  An invitation has also been offered to Mr Lochhead to meet with our CEO, Chair and ASVA Board at his earliest convenience.

The organisation also welcomes the appointment of Christina McKelvie as the new Minister for Culture, Europe & International Development. Just two weeks ago, Gordon had the opportunity to meet with her predecessor Neil Gray, now the Cabinet Secretary for the Wellbeing Economy, in the fabulous setting of Peterhead Prison Museum to discuss some of the challenges facing cultural attractions in Scotland, and he very much looks forward to picking up this dialogue with Ms McKelvie in the coming weeks.

We are sure that all ASVA members would join us in welcoming each of the above to their new roles and would echo our call to each that the Scottish Government must take more positive action to recognise the significance of our sector to Scotland, both economically and culturally. 

The UK Government has published new details on the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) for non-domestic customers. The scheme will run for 12 months from 1^st April 2023 to 31^st March 2023, and this scheme replaces the previous Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ran from 1^st October 2022 to 31^st March 2023.

From 1^1st April 2023, there will a greater level of support for non-domestic customers in certain eligible sectors designated as Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (the list of which is published here). This includes museums, libraries, historic sites and buildings and other similar visitor attractions.

Eligible organisations will need to apply for the higher support via a digital portal, and will need to provide information on their organisation, energy supplier, relevant energy supply contract references and applicable meter point references.

To be eligible, organisations must meet the following criteria:

• Be on a non-domestic contract from a licensed energy supplier.
• Be on an existing fixed price contract agreed on or after 1^st December 2021, signing a new fixed contract, a deemed contract, or on a flexible purchase (or similar) contract.
• Operate primarily in an eligible sector. Operating primarily within an eligible sector means that 50% or more of the organisation’s revenue for the 21/22 financial year fell within an eligible sector.
• The organisation physically consuming the energy must be the one to apply for the higher discount.

The higher level of discount will apply to 70% of energy volumes and will be subject to a maximum discount of £40.0/MWh for gas and £89.1/MWh for electricity. The universal level of support will be automatically applied for the remaining 30% of energy volumes.

The UK Government will determine eligibility based on the application. In some instances, further validation of eligibility may be required meaning that the organisation will be asked for additional information. The Government will use Companies House data, eligibility for other Energy Intensive Industry (EII) compensation schemes and other data sources to make the initial determination.

Questions about the scheme can be put directly to the relevant officials at ebrs@beis.gov.uk.

For more information and to apply, please click here.