News

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.

The launch of the new Historic Environment Grant fund makes express grants and interim works for heritage assets available to communities for the first time.

£2 million is available to communities across Scotland this year as a new project-based funding scheme was launched by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) on Wednesday 15^th March. Grants from £1,000 to £500,000 are now available as part of Historic Environment Grants which replaces a number of HES’s previous funding programmes including its Repair Grant and Support Fund schemes.

The funding is open largely to not-for-profit organisations such as charities, local authorities, religious bodies and community groups, to help further support Scotland’s diverse historic building stock, as well as supporting skills and the retrofit agenda.  

There are three funding streams available:

• express grants of £1,000 to £25,000,
• small grants of £25,001 to £100,000,
• large grants of £100,001 to £500,000

Expressions of interest can be submitted throughout the year through the Historic Environment Scotland Grants Portal, and applications will be accepted all year for express grants and three times per year for small and large grants.

To be considered for funding, applicants must be able to show how their project can contribute to key priority areas including engagement, place making, repair and resilience, climate action, skills and the economy.

To find out more about the funding, please click here.

As members will be aware, over a two-week period from 24^th February to 7^th March 2023, ASVA undertook a nationwide survey of Scottish attractions to establish confidence levels within the sector regarding prospects for the year ahead, as well as to gather intel on current challenges, investment priorities, cost pressures, staff pay & benefits and actions that the sector would like to see taken to further aid economic sustainability.

Responses to the survey were received from 117 organisations, representing more than 200 individual attractions, providing ASVA with robust and reliable data from which to ascertain how the sector is feeling about the season ahead, the actions being taken within the industry to combat current challenges and the measures that would be most welcomed from both the Scottish & UK Governments to support recovery after three difficult years for the majority of operators.

A summary report of the results has been drafted by ASVA providing intel on:

• The opening status of the sector come Easter 2023
• Visitor numbers and turnover forecasts
• Levels of financial reserves being held in the sector
• Sector optimism about the year ahead
• Investment levels and priorities
• Recruitment challenges
• Pay & benefits
• Cost pressures and actions taken within the sector to mitigate increasing costs
• Pricing policies
• Barriers to success
• And measures to boost economic sustainability

The survey results point to a sector that is slowly regaining confidence and recovering from a very challenging last few years, with 57% of operators optimistic about their business prospects for 2023, versus 21% who are feeling pessimistic. However whilst the majority are on the path to recovery, it is very clear that increasing cost pressures remain a significant barrier to success, with almost 40% of respondents reporting that they are scaling back, cancelling or postponing capital works this year in light of cost pressures and a not unsubstantial 15% reporting that they will not be fully open come the beginning of Easter due to staffing challenges and/or financial constraints. The results provide a very clear ask to both the Scottish and UK Governments to take more substantive action to reduce the ever-increasing costs of doing business to support the sector’s recovery in 2023.

The summary report can be viewed by clicking here.

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

As with reports in 2022, this year, in consultation with our partners at the Moffat Centre, we have decided to continue to produce two reports per month to give you the best possible insights available. The first report will compare 2023 figures with those of last year. However, we are well aware that there were still periods in early 2022 in particular when trading conditions were far from normal. For example, for much of January 2022, we still had a considerable number of Omicron-related restrictions in place, which severely limited visitor numbers, particularly in indoor settings. We also know that members have valued, and continue to value, comparisons with pre-pandemic conditions when analysing visitor data, Therefore, we have decided to produce a second report in parallel with the 2023/2022 report. This second report will compare figures from 2023

with those of 2019, the last full year of trading before the pandemic struck in early 2020.

When comparing January 2023 figures to those of 2022, we can immediately see the importance of comparing data with 2019, and not just last year. Overall, visitor numbers to ASVA member sites were up just under 59% in January 2023, when compared with those of January 2022. However, this presents an entirely distorted picture of the ‘recovery’. It is only when we analyse the 2023 figures against those of 2019, that we clearly see that the sector has not yet reached the levels of visitation that we were experiencing pre-pandemic. In January 2023, visitor numbers were down just under 13% from those experienced in January 2019. This is actually as healthy a picture as we have reported for some time, so there are certainly grounds for some optimism here when looking to the season ahead. However, the January data alone does not provide us with enough evidence of patterns as yet to make any confident statements about the year ahead. What we can say with confidence is that it appears fully justified, for this year at least, that we continue to report figures compared not just with the year before, but also with 2019. Only by looking at figures from before the pandemic will we see just how much the sector has bounced back from the ravages of the last few years and the multiples crises we have been dealing with, and indeed continue to deal with.

Working with our colleagues at the Moffat Centre for Travel & Tourism Business Development, ASVA is looking to trial a new service with members, which will help us gather quick but meaningful intel on sectoral performance and prospects. We are highly conscious that members (and other stakeholders) value data and insights that are as up to date as possible, so the Moffat Centre and ASVA are looking to produce a monthly snap survey that will capture quick insights from across the sector, which we will then look to collate and share that very same month with members. The idea is that members will be presented with a ‘snapshot’ of current sector-wide performance as well as a gauge of confidence levels within the industry.  

We will be closing the first trial survey on Friday 24th March and results will be shared the following week. The survey has been designed to ensure that it can be completed in a matter of a few moments.  

At present this is very much a trial, and we would welcome any feedback from members on the barometer survey. Please contact our CEO, Gordon Morrison – gordon@asva.co.uk – with any feedback on the survey questions, or the report once it is published.  

Please complete the survey by clicking here.