SCOTTISH tourism leaders have said bookings cancellations because of ferry disruption is costing individual businesses tens of thousands of pounds as a further wave of service call-offs has placed more pressure on the sector’s summer reopening.
It comes alongside a warning that inadequate ferry provision is set to cause more businesses to fail as the start of the much-anticipated tourist season already looks to be a washout with the CalMac fleet still struggling to cope minus its largest vessel, the MV Loch Seaforth, which has been under repair for a month.
It is claimed this has “left freight service in tatters and supply shortages across the islands”.
The situation has prompted fresh calls from frustrated business leaders for a comprehensive overhaul of the Scottish Government-owned ferries system, and also comes against a backdrop of capacity limited by virus restrictions.
As the focus shifts to tourism in the third part of a special series on Scotland’s ferry service, the extent of the strength of feeling in the islands is laid bare.
CalMac has said it is in talks with government over supplying a temporary replacement after initially expecting the Seaforth to be back in operation before this measure would be required.
DAY TWO: CalMac’s biggest customer calls for complete ferries overhaul
Rob McKinnon, chief executive of Outer Hebrides Tourism, has been among those championing the reopening push and said the ferry disruption has already cost business.
“Having battled to get Covid restrictions removed to allow us to open, we have been shut down again by the collapse of our transport infrastructure,” he said. “The combination of Covid and ferry failures has meant we have lost one-third of our season.”
Mr McKinnon said: “For businesses that have clung on through the shutdown, it is essential these issues are resolved and confidence is restored before the peak summer months, or we face a further wave of business failures in addition to those caused by the pandemic.”
It is claimed businesses across the islands are facig cancellations from people who cannot get ferry tickets.
Marc Crothall, chief executive of the industry body the Scottish Tourism Alliance, called on new Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands Mairi Gougeon and Minister for Transport Graeme Dey to treat ferries as a priority.
“With the importance of domestic tourism this year and likely to be next year and the significance of island tourism that we have to accelerate a solution to be able to optimise capacity onto the islands but also reliability over the length of the season, typically from spring until the end of autumn, otherwise businesses will fail,” said Mr Crothall.
“Covid capacity restrictions are one thing but having ferries out of commission and in dry dock is another.”
DAY ONE: Frustration as Scotland's CalMac ferries face freight, tourism pressure
He said transport leaders “need to have more direct engagement with the businesses”.
Mr Crothall said: “Demand is there, and the availability is there. We are going into a bank holiday weekend and we were hearing of people cancelling because they can’t get there. It is just not an acceptable position.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said it is “working to develop investment programmes”, adding: “We have provided more than £21 million of additional funding to ensure our lifeline ferry services continue to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to support our ferry networks as required.
“The Scottish Government is assessing physical distancing more generally and this will also apply to all sectors, including transport. They will set out their conclusions at the next review point.”
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