Responsible tourism campaign asks visitors to protect countryside and respect communities
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A new campaign has been launched to encourage responsible tourism in Scotland, with visitors urged to "take only pictures and leave only footprints".
The £124,000 VisitScotland campaign is aimed at protecting the countryside as the weather improves and with lockdown measures set to be eased in the coming weeks. Under current Scottish Government plans, restrictions on journeys in mainland Scotland will be lifted from April 26.
The campaign includes a film on responsible tourism that will be broadcast across radio, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram alongside billboard and outdoor digital screen advertising in Scotland’s main cities. This will be supported by a dedicated responsible tourism page on visitscotland.com
Visitors will be asked to protect the countryside and respect communities, wildlife and landscapes while enjoying natural attractions across the country.
Vicki Miller, director of marketing and digital at VisitScotland, said: "This campaign is hugely important, particularly at this time. It is imperative that we realise the impact of our visits on these areas and our individual and collective responsibility to care for Scotland.
“We want to protect the stunning landscapes and wildlife that Scotland is famous for and the communities that are such an important part of our culture. We are asking everyone to help keep Scotland special by ensuring we protect our natural resources by being responsible and respectful when out and about.
“We have a unique opportunity to positively engage audiences to enjoy the outdoors responsibly and come together to develop a Scotland-wide strategic and coordinated approach to help protect what’s there for future visitors and aid the recovery of our rural economy.”
The national tourism organisation’s campaign is part of the Visitor Management Strategy and Steering Group, led by the Scottish Government and VisitScotland, and includes three "workstream groups".
Issues the groups have been addressing since last year include:
- Littering – dropping and leaving litter, as well as leaving camping equipment and broken glass
- Environmental damage and fire hazards – damaging fences and signage, lighting fires in unauthorised locations or in unsafe ways, felling trees, damaging surrounding wildlife and risking the spread of wildfires
- Unsafe waste disposal – people not using designated toilets or appropriate facilities and leaving waste outdoors
- Poor preparation – a lack of understanding of rapid weather change and difficult terrains, sometimes resulting in visitors getting into trouble or requiring assistance
- Traffic and inappropriate parking – increased demand on hotspots, parking in passing places or in areas that are not safe or block access to land managers or residents
