John Swinney has been accused of being “all talk and no action” after it was revealed that he complained privately about the closure of all of VisitScotland’s vital tourist information shops. The Scottish Government quango announced earlier this year that it would be shutting down all 25 of its iCentres due to budget concerns.
VisitScotland, the country’s tourism body, claimed that falling footfall and visitors’ use of digital devices and advice meant that they should be focusing on other means of helping tourists enjoy themselves in Scotland. The blanket closure will affect some rural sites and communities, like in Ullapool and Portree.
The decision was blasted by the UK Government at the time, while other senior SNP politicians also complained to Tourism Minister Richard Lochhead. Dozens of people and businesses wrote to both the Scottish and UK Governments to urge a u-turn but all 25 premises will be shut by the start of 2026.
According to a freedom of information request by the Scottish Daily Express, SNP MP Brendan O’Hara and backbench MSP Bob Doris complained to Mr Lochhead about this. And so did Mr Swinney when he was out of government and representing his constituency, with Perth and Pitlochry losing their centres.
He emailed the SNP Minister in April 2024, just weeks before being catapulted into the job of First Minister. He wrote: “I have been contacted by constituents concerned with VisitScotland’s decision to close the visitor centre network by 2026.
“My constituents feel VisitScotland is a vital service which allows residents and visitors the opportunity to access very specific knowledge of the local area. They feel that the tourist trade from VisitScotland is important to Scotland. Moreover, VisitScotland provides an excellent service to those who are not versed in accessing information online.
“My constituents would like the Scottish Government to step in to reverse this decision. I would be grateful if you were able to look into this matter and inform me of your views and any assistance you could give.” But since becoming First Minister, he has not done anything to prevent the closures, with over half of the premises already shut.
The Scottish Tories blasted him for his “hypocrisy” as the SNP have done nothing to help VisitScotland, and have in fact underfunded the tourist organisation for years, cutting the budget by £8m in the last year. Shadow Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism Murdo Fraser said: “This revelation further demonstrates the hypocrisy that exists from top to bottom in the SNP.
“John Swinney is all talk and no action – a shameful trend that the public has seen on many other issues. Since becoming First Minister, he has failed to intervene in the closure of all 25 tourist information centres. Instead, the SNP has tried to pass the buck to VisitScotland despite these closures happening as a result of their savage funding cuts to the organisation.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government has made clear that VisitScotland should listen to any concerns that communities and businesses have about the closure of its iCentres. It should also continue to engage with local authorities, regional destination management and marketing organisations and other community partners to explore options for existing iCentre buildings including the potential community asset transfer of leased properties.”
Lord Thurso, VisitScotland’s chair, said: “The tourism landscape has changed significantly in recent years. The demand for iCentres has reduced while the demand for online information and booking has continued to grow. In order to continue building demand and growing the value of tourism and events, it is vitally important that we target channels we know visitors use to influence them to visit Scotland.
“Our research shows that as an organisation, we have a greater and more impactful role to play in providing information before visitors travel. Prioritising a digital-first model of information provision allows us to reach potential visitors at those early planning stages when we can shape their future travel decisions.”
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