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Assessing the economic impacts of nature based tourism in Scotland

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estimated that <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> dest<strong>in</strong>ation for at least 2.3 million visits was directly<br />

<strong>in</strong>fluenced by <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> a forest.<br />

Table 31 - Estimates <strong>of</strong> total annual visits to FCS forests surveyed<br />

Forest District<br />

Visits over each<br />

12 month<br />

survey period<br />

% <strong>of</strong> overnight<br />

visitors<br />

Spend per<br />

Forest District<br />

(Average<br />

expenditure on<br />

a day visit)<br />

Dornoch 119,000 14% (16.6K) £19<br />

Inverness 639,000 17% (108K) £21<br />

Fort Augustus 268,000 37% (99K) £35<br />

Lochaber 559,000 51%(285K) £30<br />

Lorne 297,000 46%(136K) £34<br />

West Argyll 292,000 31%(90K) £13<br />

Moray 360,000 6% (21.6K) £25<br />

Aberdeenshire:<br />

Buchan<br />

K<strong>in</strong>card<strong>in</strong>e<br />

694,000 5% (74.15K) £6<br />

789,000<br />

Tay 717,000 30%(215K) £23<br />

Cowal &<br />

471,000 34% (160K) £28<br />

Trossachs<br />

Scottish<br />

938,000 2% (18.76K) £6<br />

Lowlands<br />

Scottish Borders 821,000 17%(140K) £27<br />

Ae 413,000 20% (83K) £19<br />

Galloway 812,000 10% (81.2K) £4<br />

Total 8.2 million 1.53 million<br />

Non allocated<br />

visitors<br />

200,000<br />

All forest visitors were asked to specify how much money <strong>the</strong>y had or would personally<br />

spend on a number <strong>of</strong> items that day and, if <strong>the</strong>y were on an overnight trip, how much<br />

<strong>the</strong>y had spent on <strong>the</strong>ir accommodation <strong>the</strong> previous night. Categories <strong>in</strong>cluded food<br />

and dr<strong>in</strong>k, admission fees, transport, equipment and non rout<strong>in</strong>e shopp<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Amongst all respondents (day trippers and visitors on trips away from home), 48%<br />

spent noth<strong>in</strong>g, while 30% spent £20 or less <strong>in</strong> total. The average spend per person<br />

across all visitors (i.e. <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those who spent noth<strong>in</strong>g) was £17. 12% <strong>of</strong> all forest<br />

visitors had paid for overnight accommodation dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> previous 24 hours (or would<br />

do so on <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terview), with an average spend amongst those who had spent<br />

anyth<strong>in</strong>g (i.e. exclud<strong>in</strong>g those who spent noth<strong>in</strong>g) <strong>of</strong> £46.<br />

The report concludes with an estimate <strong>of</strong> total spend by people who visited due to <strong>the</strong><br />

existence <strong>of</strong> a forest and facilities <strong>of</strong> £38.9 million. This is <strong>based</strong> on a total <strong>of</strong> 2.3<br />

million visits taken due to forests and facilities multiplied by <strong>the</strong> average spend <strong>of</strong> £17<br />

per day.<br />

10.4 Canals<br />

Canals are man-made features, but so, it could be argued, are hea<strong>the</strong>r moors, longdistance<br />

routes, ski slopes and much <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>’s woodland. To o<strong>the</strong>rs, canals are<br />

green corridors. The Caledonian Canal, <strong>in</strong> particular, l<strong>in</strong>ks a set <strong>of</strong> natural lochs and<br />

opens up a natural heritage sett<strong>in</strong>g for a wide range <strong>of</strong> <strong>tourism</strong> activities.<br />

61

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