TOURISM

Scottish Enterprise - A Critical Analysis

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Mission1

A picture of the tourism industry2

The past2

The present2

Scottish tourism industry3

Opportunities4

Threats6

Promotion of staycations9

Conclusion10

References11

Scottish Enterprise - A Critical Analysis

Introduction

Scottish enterprise is a part of the Scottish government. The public body which is a non departmental is involved in economic development, innovation, enterprise and investments in business. A similar body by the name of Highlands and Islands Enterprise performs the same functions in north-western Scotland when Scottish enterprise is operative in southern and central parts of Scotland.

The organization stated its operations back in the year 1991 and is regulated by the Scotland Act 1990 by the name of Enterprise and New Towns. Scottish enterprise employs over 1000 people and has 12 offices across the country. The key roles played by the company include stimulating economic growth, exploiting low carbon opportunities, supporting business and improving the overall business infrastructure in Scotland.

Mission

The company's mission is to develop the organization into an economic development agency funded by the Scottish Executive, leader in business support and customer service…the best practice and service delivery…help people gain the knowledge and skills they will need for tomorrow's jobs.

A picture of the tourism industry

The past

The people in Scotland are known for having big hearts and souls. The tourism industry in Scotland for the year 2002 accounted for 4% of GDP. Scotland has the ambition to regain the high growth that it experiences in the early 2000s so that it can boost its economy (Yeoman 2005, p. 72). The long term vision held by the government is to make tourism the first and incessant industry in the UK. The most remarkable achievement in the last fifty years is the worldwide growth in the field of tourism. The last three years especially saw an increase in the number of people talking part in the tourism industry in one way or the other. Keeping aside the recent changes in the tourism industry dynamic, the UK saw a dramatic increase in its tourism industry in the past 20 years. The propensity for the UK population in general, and that of the Scotland population in particular, is reflective of the general well being and affluence in the UK and Scotland that is enjoyed by the citizens of the two countries. A desire for better quality of life coupled with the ever increasing disposable income led to the aspirations for people to venture on holidays beyond the traditional holiday plans. People were taking holidays even on the weekend. The more people become affluent, the more they have the time and money to spend on leisure activities. In some instances, 25 percent of the total household expenditure accounted for holiday expenses (Hall 2006, p. 26).

The present

There has been a major change in the Scottish tourism industry in the recent years. This change is marked by a decline in the airline traffic and the downfall of the tourism industry in Scotland. The recent recession that has hit the world economies, has also hit ...