Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 07/09/2023

Have your say on responsible tourism in the South of Scotland

Members of the public in the South of Scotland are being urged to take part in an online survey about the area’s Regional Responsible Tourism Strategy.

We've been working with our partners to get as many of the tourism industry involved in the strategy. It's being developed collectively by us, the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA), South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries & Galloway Council.

The partners

As agreed in the Delivery Plan of the South of Scotland’s Regional Economic Strategy (RES), all key agencies in the region are coming together in 2023 to develop and agree a single Responsible Tourism Strategy for the South of Scotland, with a clear Action Plan for successful delivery.

The five partner organisations are all working together to support the development of the strategy, which aims to ensure the South of Scotland has a sustainable, year-round tourism offer.

All involved are committed to ensuring the strategy and action plan are genuinely informed by, and owned by, local businesses and communities, as well as public agencies. To achieve this, they want the process of strategy development to be as inclusive as possible.  

Complete the survey

The survey aims to capture the views of people throughout the South of Scotland, from tourism and hospitality businesses to community groups, residents and other stakeholders.

The online survey is being hosted by Scottish Borders Council and runs until 15 September 2023.

Have your say in the survey

Hikers in the south of scotland

The online and in-person meetings coordinated by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance have been a great success and allowed communities and businesses the opportunity to help influence the future direction of tourism across the region.

There is still time for communities, businesses and for people living across the South of Scotland to have their say in the development of the South of Scotland Responsible Tourism Strategy.

I would urge residents and businesses to take part in the online survey before it closes on 15 September. Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of Scottish tourism and working together to find ways to position the South of Scotland as a unique and special holiday choice is essential.

Gordon Smith, Destination Development Director, VisitScotland

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