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ASVA is continuing to work with VisitScotland to promote the campaign ‘Great Days Out in Scotland’ which is now live. Over 40 businesses have now updated their offers on the VisitScotland website here, however there is still time to update your offers through VisitScotland’s business toolkit. 

The domestic campaign in partnership with ScotRail seeks to boost visitor numbers during the autumn and winter and run with their ‘Kids for a Quid’ offer. This will help promote the wide portfolio of attractions and experiences in Scotland, and the stories they have to tell. 

 What is the campaign? 

Great Days Out is a marketing campaign running from October to March aimed at stimulating visitor demand for visitor attractions and outdoor experience operators during the challenging autumn and winter season. 

How can I get involved? 

Update your VisitScotland business listing on visitscotland.com with details of your offer. You have full control of your listing, your offer and it’s terms and conditions. Full details of how to make the updates can be found in the Great Days Out Business toolkit here. Once the listing is updated it will automatically appear in VisitScotland’s offer list here. This is a live link and the numbers will continue to grow in the coming weeks. 

How will this be promoted? 

Promotion will be across VisitScotland’s own channels, including social media, enewsletters, business engagement activity, as well as a short burst of paid promotion via Scotrail and the Year of Stories. Furthermore partners are being encouraged to support the campaign and drive traffic and awareness to www.visitscotland.com/greatdaysout 

The latest ASVA Visitor Attractions Barometer reports, for August 2022, is now available to view in the Members Area of our website. 

As has been noted in previous reports comparing 2022 figures to those of 2021 presents a number of challenges, as even as late as August ‘21, the sector was still being disrupted by covid and covid related regulations. It was only on the 9^th of August that Scotland moved ‘Beyond Level 0’ in the Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework for Recovery, so restrictions on physical distancing were still in place for some of the month. Even beyond Level 0, some significant covid measures remained in place, such as compulsory face coverings for staff and the public and the requirement for test and protect information in hospitality settings. Consumer confidence was also still very fragile, and it is therefore no surprise that, when we compare August 2022 to August 2021, we see visitor numbers up this year by 63.6% for the month and 128.4% for the year to date across all ASVA member sites.

It is only when we analyse the 2022 figures against those of 2019, that we can fully understand where the industry was at the end of August ‘22 in comparison with a more ‘normal’ year. Comparing August ’22 to August ’19, across all ASVA attractions, visitor numbers were down 21.9% for the month and just under 26.8% for the year to date. These are the strongest visitor figures that have been reported collectively by ASVA members since the start of the pandemic, which is very welcome of course. However, the fact that numbers down by over 20% is something to be welcomed, tells us all we need to know about the very fragile state our industry is in just now.

Looking more closely at the different types of attraction, for the most part, outdoor venues still continued to outperform their indoor counterparts in terms of speed of recovery of visitor numbers. Outdoor/Nature attractions were only 1.3% down on 2019 levels, so effectively were operating with 2019 numbers in August. When compared to Castle & Forts (down 41.2% and Museums & Galleries (down 23%), it can be seen that the recovery of the sector is anything but consistent.

Given that the figures being reported now, take us through the main summer season, it is clear that 2022 has not been a year of ‘full recovery’ for our sector. It is, of course, encouraging that the picture has improved with visitor numbers gradually increasing over the course of the year. However, the improvement rate has been slow and is very inconsistent across different attraction types and locations. On top of this, continued and increasing challenges with the cost of doing business, with recruitment of staff and the cost-of-living crisis impacting consumer spending challenges all significantly impinge on our sector’s recovery.

Members can be assured that ASVA will continue to shine a spotlight on these challenging conditions and the need for both the Scottish and UK Governments to take action to support our industry through this winter and beyond.

In September, the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, set out the Government’s plan to support people and businesses with their energy bills, including a new six-month Energy Bill Relief scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users.

It was announced that the Government will publish a review into the operation of the scheme in three months’ time, to inform decisions on future support after March 2023. 

The review will focus in particular on identifying the most vulnerable non-domestic customers and how the Government will continue assisting them with energy costs.

These are likely to be those who are least able to adjust, for example by reducing energy usage or increasing energy efficiency.

The review will consider:

• how effective the scheme has been in giving support to vulnerable non-domestic customers;
• which groups of non-domestic customers (by sector, size or geography) remain particularly vulnerable to energy price rises, taking into account the latest price position and forward curves, alongside other cost pressures;
• how to continue supporting these customers – either by extending the existing scheme for some users, or replacing it with a different scheme.

As part of this review, the Government is seeking to survey businesses, organisations and trade associations across the UK to better understand energy needs.

The survey includes questions on a range of topics, including information about your organisation, energy costs and usage, other costs and your expectations for the months ahead.

All data provided will be treated as confidential. The survey will close at 11:55pm on Monday 24th October 2022.

To undertake the survey, please click here.

IMPORTANT: When completing the survey, in response to question 1.3 (Please provide a description of the industry in which your organisation operates), please answer using the relevant sub-criteria. For attractions/experiences, the choices provided by the UK Government are limited to the following, and operators must pick one of these:

• Theme park
• Other visitor attraction
• Miscellaneous outdoor events (Air Shows, Agricultural Shows,  Fun fairs, Community Fairs, Car boot sales, Firework Displays, Flower Shows, Pet and Animal Shows)
• Bowling
• Tour Guiding
• Escape room
• Laser tag
• Go-karting
• Paintball
• Zip-lining
• Other leisure experiences

Over the last few weeks, ASVA has heard from a few members asking if there are any ‘visitor friendly’ resources available out there to help with messaging to encourage the public to continue to wear face coverings. We are fully aware that the vast majority of attractions are not looking to be heavy handed with such an approach, but many are still keen to encourage the wearing of face coverings where possible, to continue to do their bit in controlling the spread of covid and, of course, to reassure visitors and staff.
 
ASVA Trade Member – Hole in My Pocket – has this week provided ASVA with a bank of ‘Friendly Posters’ which ASVA members can download, print and use completely free of charge at their venues, if looking for an additional tool to encourage not just the use of face coverings, but to also advertise further covid mitigating measures in place such as hand sanitiser stations, distancing and queuing etc. All Hole in Return would ask in return is that, if you do download and use any of the resources, please post about it online using the hashtag #holeinmypocket and/or follow them @himp (Twitter) or @himpdesign (Instagram).
 
A big thank you to Allistair Burt at Hole in My Pocket for providing this free resource to ASVA members. You can access the bank of ‘Friendly Posters’ here and if you want anything tweaked to better suit a particular circumstance, just drop Allistair a line and he will be happy to do this for you – info@holeinmypocket.com.

ASVA members are advised that they can take advantage of a special 50% discount to attend The Cultural Enterprises Conference and Trade Show 2022 at Glasgow’s SEC on 2 and 3 March. In addition to this exclusive members’ offer, ASVA delegates who live far from the city can even enjoy a free night’s accommodation.

Hosted by the Association for Cultural Enterprises (ACE), the conference has a packed programme covering all aspects of cultural income generation, including creative revenue streams, retail, e-commerce, catering, publishing, sustainability, venue hire, and licensing. Speakers from all types of cultural attractions will share their insights, ideas, challenges, and solutions. The event will also provide a valuable opportunity to catch up with colleagues and make new contacts, particularly at the 2 March welcome drinks reception and the Gala Dinner and Cultural Enterprises Awards event at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum on 3 March.

Thanks to a very kind offer from our friends at ACE, ASVA members can book conference tickets at the subsidised rate of £150 + VAT for the full two-day event, saving 50% on the full ticket price. (Please note, you do not have to join ACE to take advantage of this special members’ rate.) In addition, ACE is generously offering a night’s accommodation to ASVA delegates who live more than 90 miles away from Glasgow. (50 free hotel nights, one per delegate, are available and these will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.)

For more details on the Conference and Trade Show, and to book your discounted ticket, please click here.

In her regular COVID update to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday (8 February), The First Minister confirmed that baseline protective precautions – such as COVID certification and the requirement to wear face coverings in certain settings – will remain in force for now. Ms Sturgeon also asked employers planning arrangements for hybrid working to consider the needs of people who are at highest risk.

During her briefing, Ms Sturgeon also confirmed that the updated Strategic Framework, which sets out the Scottish Government’s overall approach to the COVID-19 response in Scotland, is due to be published on 22 February. The revised version will specify the Government’s approach to managing COVID more sustainably and less restrictively in the remaining phases of the pandemic.

As we’ve highlighted in a previous E-Update, ASVA has provided input from our sector into the review undertaken to update the Strategic Framework. Our submission emphasised that attractions cannot sustain the start-stop nature of the Scottish Government’s earlier approach, and we need to see a change in policy and messaging if we are really to start ‘living with the virus’ going forward. We also made it clear that the attractions sector has consistently demonstrated that it places visitor and staff safety above all other considerations, and does not need to be mandated to maintain this as a priority.

To read the First Minister’s full statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, please click here.

On Tuesday (8 February) ASVA CEO Gordon Morrison and Chair Susan Morrison were pleased to host Tourism Minister Ivan McKee MSP for a virtual meeting and wide-ranging discussion about the current challenges being faced by businesses in, and connected, to the attractions sector. During the open and honest discussion, a variety of key issues facing the sector were covered, including:

• The impact of Omicron and related measures over the winter period
• The lack of a recovery experienced by the vast majority of the sector in 2021
• The rising cost of doing business within the sector
• Staff absence and recruitment issues currently being faced
• How two years without viable trading is impacting investment within the sector

Gordon and Susan also discussed recovery actions and how the Scottish Government can best support our sector in 2022. Discussion topics included:

• How important it is for industry and consumer confidence that the Scottish Government gets the message across to domestic and international visitors that Scotland is open, safe and is again warmly welcoming visitors.
• If the sector is to be encouraged to invest, we need reassurances that we will not be facing the same stop-start nature of trading that we have experienced over the last two years.
• As there has been no recovery for the majority of the sector, further financial support measures must remain a priority. An extension of the current VisitScotland Days Out Incentivisation Scheme, coupled with a second round of funding for this programme – this time taking place when we don’t have capacity limits or government messaging saying ‘don’t go out’ – would help stimulate recovery.
• Further financial support to help the sector continue to develop our product would also be warmly welcomed, be that support to train our wonderful people, help us explore new revenue streams in the digital arena or develop our green credentials.
• The further extension of business rates relief and the extension of VAT at 12.5% would go a long way to helping safeguard the sector and boosting recovery.

Mr McKee acknowledged the points made and recognised that our sector is clearly one that did not see the green shoots of recovery in 2021. Whilst emphasising that there is not a limitless pot of money, the Minister provided assurances that the Scottish Government is keen to further support the recovery of our crucial sector and will look to work directly with ASVA on some of the key recovery proposals covered during the discussion.

ASVA will be continuing dialogue with the Scottish Government in the weeks ahead, looking at recovery actions to support the sector. If any members would like to raise any specific points with regard to this, please contact Gordon on gordon@asva.co.uk.

Members should aware that the Scottish Government’s Covid Status App and Covid Check Verification App have been updated.

The Covid Status App (for individuals to show their Covid status) has been updated to add a domestic tab for use in Scotland. The Covid Check Verification App (used by businesses to check QR codes) has been updated so that if a venue scans the QR code only a green tick will be seen. The green tick will replace the dates of vaccination currently displayed on the app.

As a result, businesses should now update the customer COVID Check (verifier) App to ensure the QR code shows a green tick when scanned.

As a reminder, members of the public are required to show proof of vaccination to enter:

• late night venues open after midnight with alcohol and music and dancing
• unseated indoor live events, with more than 500 people in the audience
• unseated outdoor live events, with more than 4,000 people in the audience
• any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance

For more information, click this link.

As members will be fully aware, today (27^th October) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered the latest budget announcement to UK Parliament. Key highlights impacting the tourism industry include:

• A 50% cut in Air Passenger Duty for flights between airports in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which will be delivered via a new domestic band
• A new rate of Air Passenger Duty of £91 on flights of 5,500 miles or more.
• A new one year 50% discount on business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England – Please note, this does not apply in Scotland, though it will be very interesting to see how the Scottish Government responds to this move from Westminster.
• Temporarily increasing the headline rates of tax relief for theatres, museums, orchestras and galleries across the UK from 27 October 2021 to 31 March 2024, increasing the relief organisations can claim as they invest in new productions and exhibitions.
• The National Living Wage will be increased by 6.6% to £9.50 an hour. 

Mr Sunak also announced the largest block grant for devolved administrations since 1998 in the Budget, with an increase in Scottish Government funding in each year by an average of £4.6 billion.

Further details of the Budget announcement can be found at this link.

Monday, 5 July, marked the start of a new advertising campaign designed to encourage people to choose a career in Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industries. Developed by the Scottish Government in conjunction with the industries and organisations including the Scottish Tourism Alliance, UK Hospitality Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, the initiative is supported by £100,000 funding from VisitScotland.

The recruitment drive – which will run until 15 August – has been designed to address the staffing crisis which the industries are currently experiencing, with workforce shortages having been caused as a result of Brexit and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help businesses attract candidates to fill their vacancies, the advertising campaign is targeted at 18-30 year-olds throughout Scotland. It will encourage young people to play their part in the industries’ recovery by promoting the range of roles available in them. In addition to highlighting the extensive variety of career options suited to different skill sets and the diverse job opportunities available now, the campaign advertising will highlight the unique benefits of working in tourism and hospitality.

Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee MSP, said: “Tourism and hospitality businesses have been extremely hard hit by the pandemic and the ability to employ committed, talented and enthusiastic staff will be an important part of the recovery. We had pledged £25 million for tourism recovery in the first 100 days of this Government and this recruitment campaign will play a key part in that recovery. I hope this recruitment drive will encourage young Scots who perhaps hadn’t considered a job in this sector to look at the many opportunities available to them.”

As part of the campaign, a toolkit of resources is available that businesses, including those in the attractions sector, can take advantage of to boost their own recruitment activities. Including the hashtag #DoWhatYouLove in its assets, the toolkit is available here.

Yesterday (7th July) ASVA’s CEO, Gordon Morrison, and Chair, Susan Morrison, met with the new Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee MSP, to discuss the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and restrictions on the Scottish attractions sector.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Gordon and Susan relayed to the Minister the importance of our sector to the Scottish economy, the seasonal nature of the industry and what this means for any possible recovery, the impact that restrictions continue to have on viable trading, and the importance of continued funding support for our beleaguered businesses if we are going to be in a position to lead the full recovery of Scottish tourism in 2022.

Current visitation and turnover levels were discussed, along with recovery prospects this year and the key asks of the industry of the Scottish Government in the immediate to short term, most specifically clear and timely communications on notifications of changes to restrictions, and additional funding support to help the sector make it through another very challenging winter ahead. Issues with recruitment in the post-Brexit and COVID landscape were also discussed, as well as the impact on business operations at attractions of the current Test & Protect policy of a 10-day isolation period for anyone who is informed they are a close contact of someone with coronavirus.

Mr McKee advised that he found the discussion highly useful and is fully aware of the vital importance of our sector within the wider tourism landscape. He also stated that, whilst further funding will most likely depend on consequentials coming from the UK Government, he is keen to follow up with ASVA on what shape any further funding support for our sector should take. As a result, we will look to liaise with ASVA members on this key issue soon.

Overall, our first meeting with the Minister was positive and ASVA very much looks forward to continuing dialogue with Mr McKee in the months ahead.

Our colleagues at The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), have shared with ASVA the findings of their latest research into visitor sentiment. The research was carried out by insight-led consultancy Decision House to gauge the views of the public on visits to re-opening venues.

The latest wave of research (wave 9), was conducted after the Prime Minister and First Minister had announced the postponement of easing physical distancing and other mitigation measures, so respondents were aware of those political announcements and their consequences.
 
The research shows that, whilst there growing desire to visit attractions, and particularly attractions in Scotland, there are anxieties amongst a significant proportion when it comes to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, including physical distancing.  This throws up some interesting questions for the sector, all of which we will cover in our upcoming Members Meetup event  on 14^th July –   Beyond Level 0 – How are Scottish Attractions Approaching the Lifting of Restrictions?

Some of the key highlights from the latest wave of research include:

• Since late April, there has been another positive shift in appetite for visiting attractions when they re-open. In particular, some of those ‘waiting to see what happens for a short while’ are now ready to visit, although this hesitant group still represents around 40% of the market.
• Appetite for visiting has continued to grow across all age groups, in the South of England, Wales and Scotland. Indeed in this wave of research, Scotland has the highest percentage of respondents (75%) who indicated they had either already visited or intended to visit as soon as opportunity arises.
• Although confidence is clearly growing and anxiety around using facilities falling, 60% still express fear or concerns about visiting – especially on measures to limit crowds / keep distancing. Three-quarters of the attractions-visiting public are not yet ready to remove Covid-19 safety measures, the same as at end April.
• Although falling slightly since the end of April, there remains notable support for some form of ‘proof of vaccination / exemption’, especially for indoor venues and among the over 55s, once the vaccine has been fully rolled out. Around a third of those who would ordinarily visit indoor attractions/events claim that they would not visit unless all visitors had some form of vaccine proof.
• Evidence indicates that vaccine proof would be a trigger for tempting many from the more cautious segments to return to indoor attractions, but may alienate some current visitors. This is less the case for outdoor attractions, although around a third of those from the cautious segments might be tempted to visit by some form of vaccination proof.
• Most safety measures will still be highly comforting to visitors, although the impact of providing hand sanitiser on feelings of safety has decreased over time, whilst measures focussed on limiting capacity have remained highly comforting.

We are hugely grateful to ALVA Director Bernard Donoghue for sharing the latest research with us and we look forward to welcoming him to provide further insights at the aforementioned ASVA Members Meetup on 14^th July.

You can download the full report here.

On the back of this research, ALVA has produced guidance for visitor attractions wishing to maintain some mitigation measures after restrictions are lifted. This guidance is very much just that though and ALVA is clear that  it is definitely up to individual attractions to make their own decisions about what is right for them.

You can view the ALVA guidance at this link.

From an ASVA perspective, we accept that there will be differences across the sector, when it comes to what measures will be maintained. That is inevitable when you have the breadth of different businesses that we have in our sector. What should be a constant though is the need to listen to and understand the concerns and needs of your own staff and your visitors when you are deciding which measures may be best to maintain to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for all.

ASVA will certainly support all its members in their own decisions on how to manage opening, and we know for many it is a very tricky balancing act to manage commercial viability and ensuing everyone feels totally safe.