Scotland and Tourism: The Long View, 1700-2015

Tourism in Scotland has become increasingly important as the financial sector has faltered and other mainstays are in apparent long-term decline. This book brings together work from many periods and perspectives, drawing on a wide range of source material, and reviews arguments over the cultural and economic impact of tourism. It charts changes in accommodation, transport, and marketing strategies, and emphasizes the comparative nature of tourism in Scotland as against competing destinations. The book concludes by reflecting on whether Scotland's past can inform the making and shaping of tourism policy, and what cautions history might offer for the future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Scotland has long held a significant place in the world of tourism, and its importance has only grown in recent years as the financial sector has faced challenges and other traditional industries have experienced decline. Despite the lack of comprehensive assessments and accounts of this industry's long-term significance, this book aims to shed light on its past, present, and future.

Drawing on a diverse range of sources, including academic research, non-academic publications, visitor accounts, hotel records, newspaper and journal commentaries, photographs, and even cartoons, the book explores the cultural and economic impact of tourism in Scotland. It examines the experiences of both visitors and host communities, challenging some of the prevailing orthodoxies and providing insights into what has contributed to the growth of tourism in the region and what factors have led people to explore other destinations.

The book also charts the changing landscape of accommodation in Scotland, from inns to hotels, holiday camps, caravans, and timeshares. It emphasizes the role of transport in shaping tourism patterns, including the steamship and railway's contributions to opening up Scotland and the later impact of motor transport on holidaymaking. Throughout, the book maintains a comparative perspective, comparing the forms and nature of tourism in Scotland with those in competing destinations in the UK and Europe.

In conclusion, the book reflects on whether Scotland's past can inform the development and shaping of tourism policy. It raises important cautions and considerations for policymakers and industry stakeholders as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of this rapidly evolving industry. Tourism has long been important to Scotland. It has become all the more significant as the financial sector has faltered and other mainstays are in apparent long-term decline. Yet there is no assessment of this industry and its place over the long run, no one account of what it has meant to previous generations and continues to mean to the present one, of what led to growth or what indeed has led people of late to look elsewhere. This book brings together work from many periods and perspectives. It draws on a wide range of source material, academic and non-academic, from local studies and general analyses, visitors accounts, hotel records, newspaper and journal commentaries, photographs and even cartoons. It reviews arguments over the cultural and economic impact of tourism, and retrieves the experience of the visited, of the host communities as well as the visitors. It questions some of the orthodoxies – that Scott made Scott-land, or that it was charter air flights that pulled the rug from under the mass market – and sheds light on what in the Scottish package appealed, and what did not, and to whom; how provision changed, or failed to change; and what marketing strategies may have achieved. It charts changes in accommodation, from inn to hotel, holiday camp, caravanning and timeshare. The role of transport is a central feature: that of the steamship and the railway in opening up Scotland, and later of motor transport in reshaping patterns of holidaymaking. Throughout there is an emphasis on the comparative: asking what was distinctive about the forms and nature of tourism in Scotland as against competing destinations elsewhere in the UK and Europe. It concludes by reflecting on whether Scotland's past can inform the making and shaping of tourism policy and what cautions.
Scotland has long held a significant place in the world of tourism, and its importance has only grown in recent years as the financial sector has faced challenges and other traditional industries have experienced decline. Despite the lack of comprehensive assessments and accounts of this industry's long-term significance, this book aims to shed light on its past, present, and future.

Drawing on a diverse range of sources, including academic research, non-academic publications, visitor accounts, hotel records, newspaper and journal commentaries, photographs, and even cartoons, the book explores the cultural and economic impact of tourism in Scotland. It examines the experiences of both visitors and host communities, challenging some of the prevailing orthodoxies and providing insights into what has contributed to the growth of tourism in the region and what factors have led people to explore other destinations.

The book also charts the changing landscape of accommodation in Scotland, from inns to hotels, holiday camps, caravans, and timeshares. It emphasizes the role. The role of transport is a central feature: that of the steamship and the railway in opening up Scotland, and later of motor transport in reshaping patterns of holidaymaking. Throughout there is an emphasis on the comparative: asking what was distinctive about the forms and nature of tourism in Scotland as against competing destinations elsewhere in the UK and Europe. It concludes by reflecting on whether Scotland's past can inform the making and shaping of tourism policy and what cautions.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032339733