This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Tourist Boards (Scotland) Bill
21/03/2006
The Tourist Boards (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament today.
The legislation will allow VisitScotland to become a single legal entity, using a Scotland wide tourism network to provide support to businesses as they compete in an increasingly competitive global tourism market.
The Bill builds on the proposals set out in the Executive's consultation 'Tourism is Everyone's Business' renaming the Scottish Tourist Board 'VisitScotland' and increasing board membership to reflect the broader role of VisitScotland.
Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson said:
"Scotland needs a tourism network that can deliver for the whole country, where the public and private sectors work together to support tourism as it develops into the future.
"This legislation will ensure these principles are at the heart of what we do as we drive towards the industry target of 50 per cent growth in tourism revenues by 2015."
Until April 2005, tourism promotion was delivered at a national level by the Scottish Tourist Board and at a local level by 14 Area Tourist Boards. Since then VisitScotland has promoted Scotland's tourism to markets across the world.
The proposed changes will remove the requirement in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 that provides for the compulsory establishment of Area Tourist Boards.
When the Area Tourist Boards merged with VisitScotland on April 1, 2005, to operate as an integrated tourism network, their functions were transferred to two network area tourist boards set up for the purpose under VisitScotland's control.
In effect VisitScotland became threelegal entities. The Bill will allow these network ATBs to be wound up and enable VisitScotland to become a single legal entity.